



KINKS 



2~Ol71 



' "Ivia^azine- 

/ Concrete 



/ 




COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT: 



How To Do It 



A Book of "Kinks' from the 
magazine CONCRETE 



Compiled by 
Harvey Whipple 

Managing Editor 

Concrete 



Concrete-Cement Age Publishing Co. 

Detroit 

1919 



Copyright 1919 
Concrete-Cement Age Publishing Co. 



m i2*9 






CI.A525446 

I 



Contents 

Saves Five Men in Placing Concrete (illustrated) 9 

A Simple "Hydraulic" Hoist 10 

Butter Paddle for Rough Casting Stucco 11 

Leveling Trench Foundations (illustrated) 12 

Methods in Concreting a Grand Stand (illustrated) 13 

Use Less Water 14 

Measuring the Mixing Water. 15 

Consistency 15 

A Contractor's Secret 16 

Putting Water in the Mixer First 16 

Two Men, a Mixer — Plus Ingenuity 17 

Raised Screeds and Modified Straightedge Sim- 
plify Leveling Concrete Floors 17 

A Hopper Helps in Placing Concrete in a Base- 
ment 18 

Handling Mixer in Close Quarters 18 

To Prevent Balling of Fine Mix 18 

Minimum of Water 19 

Splatter Dash Saves Form Cost 19 

Form Work #* 

Making Tight Forms 20 

Unit Forms Speed up House Foundations (illus- 
trated) 20 

Wedging Flat Slab Forms from Top of the 

Shores 22 

Concrete Porch Kink (illustrated) 23 

Sliding Forms for Small Buildings (illustrated) . 24 

A Porch Rail Kink. 25 

Building Stair Forms (illustrated) 26 

Waste Molds in Situ 28 

Another Cap Form Detail (illustrated) 29 

Building a Concrete Cap for a Wall (illustrated) 30 

Putting Panels in Posts 31 



Moving Forms with Trolley System (illustrated) 32 

A Handy Balustrade Form Detail (illustrated) . . 33 

Curb Form Kink (illustrated) 34 

Forms for Curb and Gutter Construction (illus- 
trated) . . 31 

Providing Bearing for Floor Beams (illustrated) 36 

Handy Step Form Detail (illustrated) 37 

Form Clamps for Splicing Shores (illustrated) . . 38 

Concrete Fireplace Forms (illustrated) 39 

Forms for Concrete Steps (illustrated) 42 

Floors, Sidewalks and Pavements 

Filling Leaky Cracks in Floor (illustrated) 45 

How a New Floor Surface Was Laid 46 

Patching Openings in Pavements (illustrated) ... 47 
Re-Usable Corner for Sidewalk Forms (illus- 
trated) 48 

Bonding New Top to Old Sidewalk Base 48 

Do Away With Cinders Under Sidewalk 49 

Sidewalk Joints Around Trees Will Prevent 

Cracking (illustrated) 50 

A Combined Culvert, Sidewalk and Curb 51 

Gouge Soft Spots Out of Concrete Pavements. . . 52 

Strike Board with Raised Handles (illustrated) . . 53 

Blue Prints for Paving Intersections (illustrated) 54 

Finishing Concrete Streets with Long Float 55 

Concrete Paving on Grades (illustrated) 55 

Smoothing Up Concrete Pavements 57 

Preventing Cracks in Concrete Roads . . . 57 

Edger for Concrete Roads (illustrated) 58 

Saving Men on a Paving Job 59 

Bulk Cement in Road Work 60 

Roller and Belt Road Finish. 61 

Filling Cracks in Floors 62 

Patching Concrete Floors Quickly 62 

New Top Finish on Poor Floor 63 

For Concrete Products Manufacturers 
Mixer Loader Saves Time in Products Plant 

(illustrated) 65 



Glue Molds and Waste Molds of Plaster 89 

Making Glue Molds (illustrated) 89 

Loader for Batch Mixer 91 

Using Local Stone with Concrete 92 

Truck for Hauling Concrete Stone 92 

Surfaces 

Successfully Plastering on Concrete 94 

Suggestions for Impervious Non-Crazing Floor 

Surface 95 

Solving the Crazing Problem 97 

Inconspicuous Concrete Walks 97 

Finishing the Sidewalk 98 

Pebble Surfaced Sidewalk 98 

Chicago Park Buildings Faced wits Special 

Mixture . . 100 

Cleaning Concrete Floors 101 

Preventing Efflorescence ' . 102 

Brush-Finishing Concrete Surfaces 103 

Mosaic in Concrete Surfaces 103 

White Surfaced Stairs with Rubbed Finish 104 

Miscellaneous 

Patching a Leaky Concrete Wall (illustrated) ... 106 

Strengthening Columns of Reinforced Concrete. . 107 

Some Drafting Room Kinks 108 

Test Specimens Bedded in Sand for Quick Work 

(illustrated) 109 

Drip for Porch Floor (illustrated) 110 

Better Blueprint Specifications Ill 

Mixer Runs Make-Shift Pile Driver Ill 

Blue Print Holder (illustrated) 112 

Fixing a Triangle to Avoid Blots (illustrated) . . 113 

Getting Stucco Jobs 113 

Leaky Basements Made Waterproof 114 

A Scaffold for Removing Forms (illustrated) . . . 115 

Improvised Electric Light for Night Work 116 

Soap-and-Alum Waterproofing 117 

Indicating Concrete Sections on Plans 117 



Improvising a Swing Scaffold (illustrated) 118 

Calcium Chloride to Accelerate Hardening 119 

Pay a Man What He Earns. . 120 

Clip for Attaching Wire Mesh to Steel Work 

(illustrated) 120 

Gravel Screening Kinks (illustrated) 121 

Screening Gravel at the Pit 122 

A House Builder's Business Card 122 

Keeping a Labor Supply 123 

Acid-Proofing Concrete 123 

Using Space Under Barn Driveway (illustrated) . 124 

Window Details (illustrated) 125 

Underpinning in Soft Soil 127 

Simple Field Test for Organic Material in Sand. . 128 

Hoisting Kink Used in Excavating (illustrated) . . 129 

Hollow Pedestal Over Brick "Form" 129 

Handy Scaffold Equipment (illustrated) 130 

An Emergency Salamander 130 

Photographs for Protection 131 

Keeping Belt-Course Brick in Line 131 

Leveling Building With Concrete 132 

Preventing Leaks in Concrete Buildings (illus- 
trated) 132 

Spare Tower Hopper Serves as Car Unloader 

(illustrated) 134 

Using Structural Columns as Ventilating Ducts . . 135 

Mending Rubber Hose 135 

Placing Lead Flashing (illustrated) 136 

Removing Ink Stains from Stucco and Concrete. 137 

Caisson Excavation Costs Reduced 139 

New Ideas in Manhole Construction (illustrated) 140 
Monthly Postcard Photos for Advertising Pur- 
poses 141 

A Handy Scaffold Bracket (illustrated) 142 

Crushed Firebrick as a Concrete Aggregate for 

Special Uses 142 



Home-made Mixer Loader 66 

Cutting Molds Direct from Plaster 67 

Consistency for Plaster Molds 67 

A Bag Cleaner Saves Cement (illustrated) 68 

Plaster Mold Pieces in Sand Holes 69 

Sulphur Molds 69 

Prepare Their Own Facing Aggregates 70 

A Faced Product in Sand Molds 70 

Time-Saver for Block Manufacturer's Draftsman 

(illustrated) 71 

Removing Lumps from Casting Sand 72 

Lightening a Lawn Roller (illustrated) 73 

A Container for Mixed Concrete 74 

A New Idea in Corn Cribs 74 

Concrete Stone Patches 75 

Reinforced Concrete "Bankers" 76 

Plaster Mold of Baluster (illustrated) 77 

Making Plaster Molds Last Longer 78 

Making Mold for Stone with Undercut Molding 

(illustrated) 79 

Advertising Concrete Block on the Job (illus- 
trated) 80 

Two Kinks for Products Makers 80 

Concrete Water Meter Boxes 81 

Finishing Stone — Tools Used 81 

Rough Textured Block Made in "Tamp" Machine 82 

A Kink in Flower Box Construction (illustrated) 83 
Handling Cement, Aggregate and Mixed Concrete 

in Products Plant 83 

Spigot and Pipe from Agitator 84 

Providing Setting Hooks in Concrete Stone 

(illustrated) 85 

Wood Edges on Sand Molds 85 

Pallets of Wood and Steel (illustrated) 86 

Shelf for Cement Bag on Mixer 86 

Copper Slag for Facing 87 

Coring Heavy Stone Units 88 

Drain Tile Kinks 88 



FOREWORD 



Tie contents of this book, with few exceptions, 
were w r ritten by readers of Concrete. It is purely 
a compilation from the pages of that magazine. It 
is not in any sense a general reference work on con- 
crete, but presents merely the unrelated solutions of 
little and big problems met with in the concrete field. 
Not everything in the book represents best practice 
— but the actual means employed chiefly in special 
cases. The one hundred and fifty odd kinks are pre- 
sented because one man's experience frequently fits 
in and supplies the solution of another man's prob- 
lem. The source of the information is given, when 
possible, in each case with a reference to the issue of 
Concrete in which it was published. 

The Editors of Concrete make a standing offer 
to give a copy of this kink book, or of another volume 
of kinks which it is hoped soon to issue, to anyone 
contributing a kink suitable for publication in the pages 
of Concrete. 

— H. W., 

Concrete, April, 1919. 



Mixing and Placing Concrete 



Saves Five Men in Placing Concrete 

Here is something I used with great success while 
putting up two buildings for the Kissel Motor Kar 
Co. The buildings were 40' x 130' and 56' x 140', 
with 13" walls 6' high. It took 6 men wheeling con- 
crete up a scaffold to keep the mixer busy, and the 




Cable Rig to Handle Concrete Bucket 

scaffold had to be so wide that they could pass one 
another. I now have a plan by which one man can 
do the work of the six. I set an A frame on each end 
of the wall and stretched a Yz" cable over this, with 
sheave and yale block and bucket large enough to 
take the full batch from the mixer. The handle on 
the bucket was a little above the center, so as to make 
it balance. The man filled his bucket from the mixer, 
raised it about l'$4/ to clear the top of the wall, and 
pushed it over the wall and dumped it into the forms. 
The forms had side boards 3' long and V high, which 
were moved about and which prevented slopping of 
the concrete. 

The mixer was set on blocking, so the bucket would 
not have to be raised very high after filling with con- 
crete to clear the wall. — Arthur W. Schauer, Hartford, 
Wis. [May, 1918, p. 154.] 



A Simple "Hydraulic" Hoist 

A simple elevator was put into operation in the 
erection of a reinforced concrete building in Keene, 
N. H. It consisted of a light wooden frame erected 
on the roof and overhanging the edge. To the 
frame two well-wheels were attached 10' above the 
roof. Over these wheels ran a rope and to each 
end of the rope was attached a wooden bucket. The 
rope was of such a length that when one bucket 
was on the ground the other would be about 3' 
above the roof. Each bucket had a capacity of 
2}4 cu. ft. and one was used for materials and the 
other for water. The material bucket was slightly 
heavier than the water bucket, so that when the 
hoist was at rest the material bucket would be on 
the ground. The well-wheels were placed 12' apart, 
so that there would be no interference between the 
buckets as they passed up and down. 

The water bucket was filled from a 50-gal. barrel. 
Into this barrel water flowed continuously through 
a %" pipe at 50 lbs. pressure. The barrel was 
placed in a horizontal position, near the edge and 
3' above the roof, with its long axis parallel with 
the edge of the roof. A shaft was passed through 
the heads, slightly off center, and a frame was 
erected to carry the shaft and allow it to revolve 
freely. In one side of the barrel near the top a cir- 
cular opening was cut and a sheet metal spout at- 
tached in such a position that when the barrel was 
slightly revolved the spout would discharge water 
into the water bucket. An arm was attached to 
the head of the barrel at right angles to the hori- 
zontal axis and a man was stationed beside the 
barrel to fill the water bucket at the proper time. 
The hoisting operation consisted in filling the bucket 
on the ground with the material to be raised, then 
revolving the water barrel, allowing the water to 



flow into the water bucket. The water bucket 
would then descend and the material bucket rise. 
When the material arrived at the right height it 
would be stopped by the water bucket reaching the 
ground and the material would be dumped into 
wheelbarrows and the water into the sewer. 

This hoist was used for raising slag for roofing. 

The distance from ground to roof was 28'. Two 
men were required to operate the hoist and the 
average load carried each trip was 2^4 cu. ft. The 
maximum speed attained was two trips per min. 
An average speed of 65 trips per hour was main- 
tained. The men tending hoist received 25 cents 
and 28 cents per hour. From this it is seen that 
the labor cost of raising the slag was 12 cents per 
ton (calling the weight of slag 55 lbs. per cu. ft.). 
The frame to which the well-wheels were attached 
was erected at a cost of $1.80 and 210', B. M., of 
lumber was required for this purpose. Besides this 
there was a slight expense for water and the initial 
cost of $2.10 for making and installing the hardware 
en buckets and water barrel. 

On this work the material was shoveled from the 
car into wheelbarrows, dumped from wheelbarrow into 
bucket then dumped from bucket into wheelbarrow 
again and wheeled to place near where it was to be 
used. 

On small jobs where the initial cost of installing 
an elevator is prohibitive, this method of hoisting 
may be profitably employed. — A. P. Rounds, Con- 
tractor, Stoneham, Mass. [Feb., 1917, />. 49.] 

Butter Paddle for Rough Casting Stucco 

We have learned that in throwing rough cast and 
pebble dash stucco, nothing in the paddle line equals 
an old butter paddle with a crooked handle. It seems 
that the shape of the thing holds the mud like a man's 
hand. — W. C. McCreight, Oklahoma City, Okla. [June, 
19 18, p. 206. \ 

11 



Leveling Trench Foundations 

In the construction of concrete houses without cel- 
lars at Claymont, Del., for the General Chemical Co., 
in which the Morrill system of steel forms was used, 
the foundation trenches 3' 6" deep and 16" wide were 
cut in the clay (see sketch). As soon as the trenches 




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were completed screed boards were set 8' apart across 
the trench. The trenches were then filled with con- 
crete, the top was worked off level with a straight 
edge resting on the screed boards. The foundation 
was then complete, ready to receive the first course 
of the steel forms for the first story walls. In a por- 
tion of the foundation, stones weighing from 10 to 20 
lbs. were grouted into the concrete as the trenches 
were filled. The mixer was set up beside the trenches, 
so that the concrete was spouted direct. The mixer 
was moved along as the work progressed. [Jan., 1919, 

12 



Methods in Concreting a Grand Stand 

W. S. Jonason, Aberdeen, S. D., built a reinforced 
concrete grand stand for the South Dakota State Fair 
Assn., Huron, S. D., to replace the old frame struc- 
ture and it has a seating capacity of 5,500 people. 
Design is by Homer M. Derr, state engineer, at Pierre, 
S. D., and work was done under the supervision of 
A. Bjordstrup, Mitchell, S. D. 







Tor ,'iav a- Cuvrc 4 £*x*i 



Details of 80' Chute for Placing Concrete 
The grand stand is constructed throughout with re- 
inforced concrete, with a concrete roof supported by 
a steel structure. It is 300' long and 50' high at the 
back. 

All beams, columns and deck were cast together. 
The beams and columns are spaced 16' apart, and in 
such manner that additional units or sections may be 
added from time to time. Expansion joints are made 

13 



from front to back of the stand, and each section is 
entirely free from the other. The slipping due to ex- 
pansion over the columns on the joints is overcome by 
the use of rollers set in the joints. 

The concrete was deposited on Hy Rib reinforcing, 
acting both as forms and reinforcing. After the stand 
was completed the under side was plastered with a 
cement mortar and washed with a white cement. 

A special device was used by the contractor for dis- 
tributing the concrete in the forms along the deck of 
the grand stand. Concrete was mixed at a central 
plant and elevated at the back and center of the stand. 
On the top a runway was made for carts to carry the 
concrete from the tower to the portable chute. This 
chute was made of inch boards, and ran from the top 
to the front of the stand, making a continuous trough 
of about 80'. Small gates were provided on the side 
of the chute and when opened would close the chute 
at any point and divert the concrete into the forms 
at that point. The chute was on two tracks about 
twenty-five feet apart. This made it possible for the 
workmen to move the chute from one end of the stand 
to the other and deposit concrete in the desired forms. 
The ends of the chute were held up by means of wire 
running over the top of an arch 5' above the chute 
and over the track. This gives the entire device the 
appearance of a suspension bridge. The device was 
worked up by the contractor and proved very satis- 
factory and cheap to construct. [Dec, 1918, p. 194.] 

Use Less Water 

Use that combination of materials in your mix 
which requires the least water to make it plastic. 

You may as well take 3 pounds of cement out of 
3 sack batch as to put in 1 pint more water than 
will produce a workable consistency. — Prof. D. A. 
Abrams, Lewis Institute, Chicago. [Sept., 1918, p. 

79.] 

14 



Measuring the Mixing Water 

Here's a foolish little kink which worked. When 
you mix a lot of concrete, you want to handle the 
water easily and without waste. So you connect the 
supply to flow into a barrel. Barrel is on the mix- 
ing platform, elevated, of course, to feed easily into 
the power mixer. Let the man whose duty it is to 
measure the water be stationed on the ground near 
the barrel, very near. That is important. Have the 
valve within reach of the man. Then measure in 
the barrel just the amount of water needed for each 
batch of concrete. Bore a hole in the side of the 
barrel at this level so determined, right over said 
man. Even though he is occupied in checking loads 
of stone, cement and sand, it is surprising how adept 
he soon becomes in gauging the time when the water 
is just about to spill — on him. — K. E. Hildreth, Syra- 
cuse, N. Y. [Sept., 1918, p. 92.] 

Consistency 

Many concrete products manufacturers and many 
contractors will do well to give some special study 
to the finer distinctions in consistency of concrete. It 
would be extreme to say that only. two consistencies, 
wet and dry, are generally recognized. But that there 
are six defined consistencies with wide difference in 
resulting concrete is not fully appreciated. 

Bearing on this is a publication of the Bureau of 
Standards (Technologic Paper No. 58, entitled, 
"Strength and Other Properties of Concrete As Af- 
fected by Materials and Methods of Preparation"). 

In outlining the tests, the consistencies referred 
to in the paper from the driest to the wettest mix- 
ture are defined. The definitions are as follows : 

Dry — Containing just sufficient water to cause the cement 
and sand to adhere after tamping and removal of the mold's. 

Moist— A mean between the "dry" and "plastic" consisten- 
cies. 

15 



Plastic — Containing the maximum quantity of water which 
allows the removal of the forms immediately after molding. 
The surface of the mass shows web-like marks of neat cement 
and water. 

Quaking — A stiff mixture upon which water can be brought 
to the surface by slight tamping. The mass should not flow 
readily. 

Mushy — A soft, mushy mixture which is not watery, but 
can be spaded and readily worked into place in the form. 

Fluid — A watery mixture which flows readily into place in 
the form with little or no working. 

[Aug., 1916, p. 39.] 

A Contractor's Secret 

"Our success during the year 1917 has been ill 
selecting the best men we could find, paying the best 
wages, and being constantly with our men, setting 
the pace for them to follow," write Shipe & Hoover, 
of Pittsburgh, Pa. "A caller one day found us en- 
gaged iii putting in a cellar wall. After watching 
us for some time he came to me and said : 

" 'Will you tell me the secret of having your men 
work the way they do? I have been all through 
this section and I have never seen anything like it 
— nine men doing more work for you than twelve 
do in most places using a larger mixer.' 

"The secret is this : My partner is at one side see- 
ing that the mixer is kept full, and I am here at the 
other seeing that it is kept empty." [Mar. 1918, p. 
104]. 

Putting Water in the Mixer First 

A concrete products manufacturer puts the water in 
the mixer first — then the cement. Mix about two rev- 
olutions. Then the sand and rock. Result — as good 
a mix in 25% less time or 50% better mix in the same 
time. This is a sure remedy for the "hard center ,, 
so often seen in a mixer. This system is as good for 
hand mixing as for machine, saving one-half the labor. 
[Jane, 19 18, p. 206. \ 

16 



Two Men, a Mixer — Plus Ingenuity 

Here is one place I used machinery instead of 
extra labor. I put a concrete coping on a stone fire 
wall, one story high, 50' x 2', and 6" deep, after put- 
ting up a form on each side of a stone wall. 

I raised a stiff leg derrick on the front wall, guyed 
by three heavy wires to nearby telephone poles, then 
ran a 24" rope over pulleys and back to the ground, 
single strand. 

I set my Little Wonder 5 concrete mixer close to 
the bottom to mix concrete, dumped it into wheel- 
barrows, and pulled it up on the building with my 
Overland car. In this way one man on top and my- 
self at the bottom, operating both machines, com- 
pleted the wall in 2 hours and 15 minutes. You can 
judge for yourself how many men it would take to 
handle this concrete by hand. But I find I have to 
skimp on labor, so I make machinery do the work. — 
Bruce E. Lewis, Hot Springs, S. D. [Sept., 1918, 
p. 93.] 

Raised Screeds and Modified Straightedge 
Simplify Leveling Concrete Floors 

During the construction of concrete floors for a 
building of the Naumkeag Steam Cotton Co. at Salem, 
Mass., by the Turner Const. Co., N. Y. C, a novel 
method of screeding concrete floors was worked out. 
Screeds were placed and leveled above the surface of 
the floor, which was continuous under them, in some 
cases the screed was clamped to columns so that there 
was no break in the floor surface. Guides were se- 
cured to the straightedge and worked over the raised 
screeds. This method allows a man to work to bet- 
ter advantage and with a long straightedge the tenden- 
cy to bend and throw the floors out of true is much 
reduced. [Oct., 1915, />. 129.] 

17 



A Hopper Helps in Placing Concrete 
in a Basement 

How a hopper can be used to advantage on basement 
and other comparatively small work was demonstrated 
on a Chicago basement, where a Standard mixer was 
set to discharge into a rough hopper, which was ar- 
ranged so a concrete cart would be filled from it. The 
advantage of having an easily controlled supply of 
concrete constantly ready is apparent. [Nov., 1917, 
p. 142.] 

Handling Mixer in Close Quarters 

We were bothered a great deal in setting our con- 
crete mixers in close places on bridge work, but finally 
hit upon the plan of using a small 10-ton screw jack, 
which solved the problem exactly. 

How do we do it? We take a 12" plank 2 or 3 
inches thick, long enough to reach both sills under- 
neath the mixer, place a small block on ground, put 
jack between block and plank about center of weight 
of mixer. Screw jack up until it carries weight of 
mixer, then one man at each end of mixer and the 
machine swings in any direction. Where it did take 
us an hour or two to set a four ton mixer we now set 
it in a couple of minutes. — B. F. Hatfield, Converse, 
Ind. [June, 19 18, p. 206.] 

To Prevent Balling of Fine Mix 
We recently had to use a very fine facing mixture 
— rich in white cement, hydrated lime, for waterproof- 
ing and fine stone. We found it almost impossible 
to add water and mix without balling. After running 
several experiments we found that by running the lime 
and white cement through a forty mesh screen that 
we could overcome this trouble. The material for 
facing was first mixed dry in a power paddle mixer 
and then dumped into a regular mortar box where 

18 



the water was added and all thoroughly mixed with a 
hoe. This was the only way that we could solve our 
difficulty. If the water is added in the mixer you have 
still some trouble with the balling condition.— W. E. 
Provost. [Oct., 1917, p. 123.] 

Minimum of Water 

The use of well-graded aggregates results in no 
gain in strength unless the grading is taken ad- 
vantage of in using the smaller quantity of water 
which it makes possible. 

It does no good to increase the mixing time unless 
you use a minimum of water. The use of two or 
three pints more water than necessary in a 1-bag 
batch counteracts the beneficial effect of increasing 
the mixing time from 45 seconds to 60 seconds. — 
Prof. Duff A. Abrams, Lewis Institute, Chicago. 
[Sept., 1918, p. 81.] 

Splatter Dash Saves Form Cost 

I have built here two pump houses, one boiler room 
and several retaining walls, on which the form work 
to make a rather smooth and pleasing appearance 
would have been hard to obtain without a great amount 
of labor. We have avoided this by using the same 
forms as we would use for any work, afterward put- 
ting a splatter coat on the wall, when fairly dry, of 
one part cement, one part sand and one part of Joplin 
chats, with 1 gal. of lime per sack of cement. This 
makes a pleasing appearance, the rougher the better, 
as long as the texture is uniform. This was thrown 
on direct to the concrete with shovel or paddle and 
has been very successful and has never cost over 
20 cents a yard, including material. — D. K. Mc- 
Leod, contractor, Hutchinson, Kansas. [May, 1918, 

19 



Form Work 

Making Tight Forms 

In making panels for beam sides, column sides, 
etc., use ordinary Insley column clamps to draw up 
the boards or plank together. Very often the edges 
of the boards have a bend in them and the panels 
would either have wide cracks between the boards 
or the boards would have to be picked over. The 
use of these clamps draws up the edges of the boards 
while the cleats are being nailed fast. — E. D. Stein- 
hagen, Steinhagen & Klinger, Milwaukee. [Aug., 
1918, p. 47-] 

Unit Forms Speed Up House Foundations 

In the construction of 25 frame houses for the In- 
gcrsoll-Rand Co., at Phillipsburg, N. J., by the Phil- 
lipsburg Development Corp., an interesting feature was 
in connection with the concrete foundations. Cellars 
are 20' 2" by 24' 2" by 6' 6", with an 8" concrete wall. 
The entire basement form work is in eight panels, two 
for each side for the inside forms and an equal num- 
ber outside. A detail shows the way the panels are 
keyed at the corners and shows how they are bolted. 
A 1^4" by 5" timber as a key is shoved into place be- 
tween form parts, and this, when bolted, holds the 
forms securely and tightens them up at the corners. 
With this system it takes four men 10 to 11 hours to 
strip and set up the form work. These four men are 
carpenters, at 60 cts. per hour — cheaper than carpen- 
ters with helpers. These men have a little help when the 
large panels are being carried from one job to another. 
The runways are set up by two men in two hours and 
stripped in 40 minutes. The concrete is placed from 
wheelbarrows in from 7 to 8 hours, and at one setting 

20 




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Horizontal and Vertical Sections, Foundation Forms 

21 



of the mixer, the work requiring 16j4 to 17 cu. yds. 
The mix is 1 :3 :5 concrete, of cement, sand and cinders. 
The wooden forms for these foundations have required 
no repairs and are giving splendid surfaces, special 
care being taken in spading the concrete to get a fin- 
ished appearance, so that no surface treatment is re- 
quired. [Feb., 1919, p. 62.] 

Wedging Flat Slab Forms from Top of 
the Shores 

In flat-slab floor construction the problem of form 
alignment and leveling is somewhat different than 
where the beam and girder system is used. In the 
latter form of construction the different units are 
usually aligned and leveled by the use of a line and 
by wedging the shores from the bottom. In the 
flat-slab system of floor construction, the floor is 
more a single unit and the use of a line for leveling 
and crowning is impractical. It is much easier and 
more accurate to use a level and rod. Wedging 
can still be done from the bottom of the shores but 
the erection of the form work is facilitated by wedg- 
ing from the top. 

When wedging from the bottom, the forms must 
be leveled before the shores are braced or else the 
braces must be loosened for leveling. By using the 
system of top wedging, the form work can be erect- 
ed and braced and the steel reinforcing placed be- 
fore any leveling is done. 

When the floor is ready to be leveled, the level 
is set up at some convenient place, in a window or 
on top of an adjoining building or over a column 
on the building under erection and the target on 
the rod set to the proper grade. The column heads 
should be leveled first by reading the rod on the 
four sides of the column and having two carpenters 
underneath do the necessary wedging. It is best 

22 



to have the floor a little low rather than too high, 
as it is easier to drive the wedges up a little than 
it is to loosen them and lower the floor. After the 
column heads are leveled, the centers between col- 
umns are taken and given the proper crown. After 
this is done, all other wedges are gone over and 
brought to a solid bearing. The horizontal ledgers 
are placed at the proper height to be used as a 
scaffold for wedging. 

This method of wedging was used with success 
on all five floors of the Ford assembly plant at 
Omaha, Neb. — G. W. Smith, Omaha, Neb. [Feb^ 
1917, p. 133.] 



Concrete Porch Kink 

The accompanying sketch shows a small kink we use 
in putting up concrete porches. When we pour the 
concrete for the foundation we put in wooden blocks 
2' apart and 11" from the top of wall. 

When we are ready to build forms for floor slab 




Detail of Porch Kink 



all we have to do is nail 2 x 4's to the blocks and put 
2 x 10's on these to carry the floor. This does away 
with leveling the dirt under the porch, and all shoring 
and bracing. We have tried this out a number of 
times and find it is a great time-saver. — M. Dugan 
Concrete Co., Cincinnati, O. [May, 1918, p. 154^] 

23 



Sliding Forms for Small Buildings 

Sliding forms are in extensive use on large struc- 
tures, notably grain elevators and standpipes. These 
forms are arranged with suitable jacks so that a con- 
stant upward movement is maintained at the rate of 
several feet per day. 

The same idea has been applied to small farm struc- 
tures by J. N. Snyder, Araphoe, Neb. 

Mr. Snyder recently built an ice house, which is a 
12' cube inside. The building is nearly all under- 
ground. The earth was of such nature that the exca- 
vation was cut clean and outer forms were required 
for but the last two feet of the wall. These were built 
rigid in the usual way. The inner form was built 
of four 2' x 12' panels of 2" plank. 



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Sliding Forms for Small Structures 

Mr. Snyder writes : 

"I first set a 6" x 6" x 12' post in each corner, 10" 
from the excavated wall and about 8" in the ground 
and anchored them in place securely at the top. I 
then made four panels of forms. Each panel was 
made as follows: Six and a half inches from each 
end, I nailed a 2 x 4 flatways to form a guide to keep 



24 



the forms in line. In the center of each panel I nailed 
a 2 x 4 edgeways. These had y 2 " holes to which I 
bolted a 2 x 4 cut slightly less than the inside dimen- 
sion of the forms to give play room when raising them. 
I then set my forms in place, bolting my 2x4 cross 
braces in place (see sketch) and filled the forms with 
1 :5 concrete mixed to a slightly quakey consistency, 
tamping thoroughly. I then raised the whole forni 
V, the remaining foot of concrete being sufficient to 
hold the forms and allow placing and tamping of an- 
other 1' layer. I continued raising, filling and tamp- 
ing until the top was reached. A short carpenter's 
bar was used to raise the forms using longer heel 
blocks at each raising. 

"The walls were reinforced horizontally against 
earth pressure. 

"With one other man I made the forms and com- 
pleted the walls in one day, using a mixer and chuting 
the concrete into place. 

"I can recommend this type of form for structures 
up to 20' square and walls may be carried to any 
height." [June, ip 18, p. 222.] 

A Porch Rail Kink 

In building a concrete porch under an old roof, 
the concrete spindles were made with fine sand, 
about 2 sand to 1 of cement, of a dry mix so mold 
could be removed immediately. The lower part of 
the railing was made in arches by mixing a little 
lime with fine sand and making a bank where each 
arch comes through in the bottom railing. The con- 
crete was put in the forms over the sand banks and 
the spindles set on the green concrete ; then another 
form with a hole cut to fit over the top of each 
spindle; then the top form was filled. The sand 
cores were washed out after the removal of forms. 
— Scott Healey, Otsego, Mich. [Oct., 19 18, p. 130.] 



Building Stair Forms 

The method I use for forming stairs is shown in 
the sketch and is good either to finish at time of pour- 
ing or to allow for placing marble or other materials 
afterwards. 

Safety treads should be placed after concrete has 
been screeded off; curb or nosing bars should be tied 
on the risers before placing concrete. You will notice 
that risers and stringers clear the finished treads, in 
order to finish treads if desired at the time of pouring. 

Ends of stringers are braced, and at center of run 
they should be wired or bolted to prevent springing 
up if concrete will be placed fast. 



m 






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S.GOMiePCn JKX/AHNTZ> 



Mr. Muller's Stair Forms 

Concrete should be placed starting from bottom, 
working up, keeping J4" below finished tread to allow 
for mortar or safety tread, and should be stiff enough 
not to run too free and at the same time fill all voids 
and should be thoroughly tamped and worked while 
being placed. 



26 



Risers and stringers can be stripped the following 
day for finishing risers and curbs. 

It is much cheaper and easier to place stairs after 
the floor above is poured. 

On a large job it is easier at times to mix material 
by hand at stair being poured, and place it with 
buckets or shovels or a small chute. 

I used this method on an office building and school 
at Balboa, C. Z. The school stairs had safety treads, 
the office building a cement finish with rounded edge. 
— Jack A. Muller, General Foreman, Building Div.. 
Panama Canal. 



The installation of reinforced concrete stairs is an 
open field for ingenuity. Considering economy, stabil- 
ity, simplicity of construction and speed, I have found 
the following design (Fig. 2) most adaptable. 




Mr. Alley's Stair Forms 

Built soffit of y§" shiplap laid horizontally on 2" 
x 6" bearers, supported by 4 x 4 headers on 4 x 4 
shores placed as weight and length of stairs requires, 
shiplap to extend 6" past stair line on both sides, then 
nail a 2 x 6 flat to clear stair line 2". 

27 



Lay out the risers and treads on smooth side of 2" 
plank stringers, risers to slant in or toward stair slab 
J4* # if without nosings; place the stringers on the slab 
and set the risers, beveled at the bottom to allow free 
use of finishing tools. Risers are to correspond in 
length to finished rise and are set flush with the finished 
tread. 

Place one 4 x 4, or more, if width of stair requires, 
longitudinally in the center of the stairs, and wire 
firmly through the slab to headers beneath to prevent 
floating; use 4 x 4's as clamps across stringers and 
wired to headers, spacing to be determined by thick- 
ness of slab and width of stairs. — C. C. Alley, Concrete 
Foreman, Philadelphia. [Oct., 1918, />. 129.] 

Waste Molds in Situ 

Where labor is cheap and a few men can be 
trained for a proper knack for their work, some 
elaborate things can be done with concrete trim cast 
in place. 

C. B. Brun, New York architect, some time ago 
built a large reinforced concrete house in Cuba. The 
exterior treatment of cornices, parapets, balustrades, 
etc., involved a good deal of ornamentation to be 
cast in place as a structural part of the work, with 
the advantage of a good deal of repetition of design. 

The ornamental features were modeled in clay; 
plaster molds made, glue models cast in the plaster 
molds and as many waste molds of plaster cast as 
there were repetitions in that ornament. Then plas- 
ter molds were secured in place as a part of the 
form work. A very fine smooth mix was first thrown 
into these ornamental molds, completely covering 
the surface, and this immediately backed up with 
the regular mix. When the plaster was chipped 
off there were, of course, surface imperfections and 

28 



some unevenness of color. The finish was made 
by a grout wash of a creamy consistency, sopped on 
and "sponged" in with a wad of cheese cloth. [July, 
ipi8, p. 26. \ 

Another Cap Form Detail 

Your kink for "Building a Cap of Concrete," in my 
humble opinion, is not practical; it can only be used 
in rough brick work; in front brick work the joints 
are too close to get a lath in between the bricks. 

In concrete walls please tell me what will happen 
to said lath after some "wop" hits it with a shovel or 
dumps a cart load of concrete on the lath. Then the 
mason contractors in this section are not so kind as 
to do any extra work in putting in lath, and unless 
you want to keep a man there to put them in, you 
would find the lath in a nice little pile; that is, if the 
masons did not take them home for firewood. 

What I believe to be a better method, and one we 
have used for years for such work, I show in accom- 
panying sketch. It is built up as required and we 
have used it with overhangs up to one foot. Holes 
are drilled about 2' apart and No. 8 wire or pencil 
rod, which every concrete man uses for form work, 
is put through the holes, one end bent over and held 
with a staple, the other end drawn tight with a ham- 
mer, the same as if you were drawing a nail; when 
tight, it is bent down and held with a staple, the same 
as the other end. As you can readily see, you have 
a form for any kind of wall, the form being built on 
the cantilever principle, and the more concrete put be- 
hind it the tighter it holds. There are no clamps, 
braces and in fact nothing in your way at any time 
while working or finishing the top. If desired, spacers 
can be used to hold it apart on the top until the con- 
crete is placed in the form. 

29 



This form, if the wall is anywhere near level, will 
level itself, and in the five years we have used this 
method have always found it true and level. 

To remove the forms the staples are drawn out and 
the wires are bent up straight and forms pulled off; 



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Detail of Cap Form 

the wires then can be cut off close to the wall under 
the overhang, or drawn out if the cap is not too thick 
or wide. — R. Shannon, J. H. & R. Shannon Co., Jer- 
sey City, N. J. [Sept., Jpi8 y p. pj.] 

Building a Concrete Cap for a Wall 

Few jobs are more common than placing a concrete 
cap on masonry walls of various kinds, yet it is sur- 
prising how few concrete workers know how to place 
this form work accurately and rapidly and without the 
use of a great amount of bracing. 

The methods described are available for masonry 
walls and by the use of a little foresight in poured con- 
crete walls. The illustration shows that a line of sup- 
ports consisting of wood laths are laid in the joints of 
the wall a few inches below the bottom of the cap. 
With concrete walls this could be arranged by allow- 
ing the lath to run through the walls and through the 
form work by notching between the boards. These 



30 



laths form a support strong enough to carry the forms 
for the cap, as shown. It is obvious that the forms 
can be leveled by the use of wedges between the lath 
and the form boards, and that a nail driven up through 
the lath will hold the forms securely to line. 




//7 joint 



Securing Cap Forms to Wall 

Spreading can be taken care of by tacking strips 
across the forms. It is, however, often desirable to be 
able to finish the cap before removing supports of this 
kind. If form clamps of some type are not available 
they can be improvised from odd bits of lumber along 
the lines shown in the illustration. [Feb., 1917, p. S 1 \ 

Putting Panels in Posts 

In making concrete gate posts to be used on a 
large country estate, the following method served 
to place an attractive panel in the road side of the 
posts. We made a form with pyramid top, laid 
on the molding floor. The usual corner strips were 
nailed in, with the sides of two of them flush with 
the edges of the form side members. A rectangular 
frame of %" strips, outlining a panel, was then po- 
sitioned on the bottom form board and tacked in 
place. A thin wash of fire clay — though any clay 
will serve as well — was then run into this panel to 
a thickness of about %" or so, when wet. Broken 
stone, as used for the aggregate, varying in size 

31 



from J4" to l'j£", were then placed in the clay, with 
a flat surface next to the form. When the clay had 
hardened somewhat the rectangular form of strips 
was removed, a bucket of mortar served with care 
covered the stones and the rest of the form was 
then filled in the usual way. Reinforcing to the ex- 
tent of four corner bars did not interfere with the 
placing of the panel. On removing the form, brush- 
ing out the clay and washing each post with a neat 
mortar coat, a rather good looking ornamental post 
was achieved at little additional cost over the ordi- 
nary unpaneled ones. The faces of the stones in 
the panels were placed irregularly, but the idea 
might well be carried out in mosaic or initial pat- 
terns, and with regular or uniform faced pieces. 
However, for the purpose desired, this irregular 
aggregate gave an attractive effect. — K. E. Hildreth, 
Syracuse, N. Y. [Aug., 19 18, p. 77.] 

Moving Forms with Trolley System 
In constructing a 22-pit roundhouse it was necessary 
to move the heavy panel forms distances up to 600', 
which, over the broken and obstructed ground, was a 
very heavy task. 




How the Trolley was Rigged 
To make the work easy, two easily moved A frames 
were used, which were set in suitable locations to bring 
a cable stretched between them over the forms and the 
point where they were wanted. 



32 



A single line from a hoisting engine was passed 
through snatch blocks and secured to the further A 
frame. A trolley traveled on this line and by slacking 
the line the forms were picked up with tongs and the 
line tightened, which raised the forms and allowed 
them to be transferred easily as desired. 

Lumber and other materials were also handled easily 
and cheaply by this rig which was made by W. E. 
Burdett. [Mar., 1918, p. 106.] 

A Handy Balustrade Form Detail 

The illustration shows how forms for a bridge bal- 
ustrade were built. L. M. Edwards used them on 
the Olympia Island bridge, Toronto, according to the 
Engineering Record. 




Balustrade Forms That Come Out Easily 



The sketch is self explanatory. With one side of 
the balustrade forms removed the wedges and blocks 
that hold the little arch forms apart are removed and 
out comes the form. [June, 1918, p. 206.] 



33 



Curb Form Kink 

In building curbing (not gutter), use stakes that 
stick above the forms at least a foot, put a spreader 
between the planks and draw the stakes toward each 
other and put a lock from stake to stake, instead of 




Detail of Curb Form Kink 

nailing a cleat across. The locks are made by notch- 
ing strips of wood, and are quick to put on or take 
off, and leave room to finish the top. — Scott Healey, 
Otsego, Mich. [May, ipi8, p. 154.} 

Forms for Curb and Gutter Construction 

I have what I think is a good thing in the building 
of combined curb and gutter of concrete. 

I have been at this kind of work for six years and 
in starting out I copied usual methods of construction, 
but I soon came to the conclusion that there was an 
easier way to get the expansion joint plate out than by 
taking down the front facing plank to allow the re- 
moval of the iron. I wanted to save the cost of one 
man facing up the curb, after the front facing plank 
came off. That way of finishing is not good for con- 
crete anyway, as it should not be disturbed after it has 
been put in place, with a proper facing. 

34 



I worked out * the idea that is shown in the accom- 
panying illustration. I used pine plank, 2" x 7", and 
got them molded out in the proper shape at the factory 
and cut them 8' long. This is the length of the block 
in my city. I then set a stud in each end of the facing 
plank, having a casting made to fit in the end of the 
facing plank. This I fastened in with a thumb screw, 
which makes the form thoroughly rigid when ready 
for concrete. 




Idea for Curb and Gutter Construction 

When the sub-base is prepared and the back plank, 
2" x 12", is put in place and securely fastened, any 
intelligent boy can finish setting up the forms faster 
than a crew of eight men with a small mixer can put in 
the concrete. 

After the back form is set up the remainder is as 
easy as hanging clothes on the line, and you will have 
curb and gutter absolutely straight, with a proper 



35 



grade, and no water remaining on it after it is done. 
Before the iron clamps are taken off, that is, the clamps 
that hold up the facing board, and while the concrete is 
deposited, a small piece of 2-in. board strapping is 
nailed on the face board of the gutter form to hold up 
the facing plank until the concrete sets, then back off 
the thumb screws, back off the casting, which only 
takes a few minutes; haul out the joint iron and the 
job is done. 

My front facing planks I have used for six seasons 
and they are as good today as the day they came from 
the factory. By keeping them well oiled, they will last 
a long time. 

With this method of construction, when the form 
comes off, there is a good smooth face, and as the 
coarse aggregate and fine aggregate are all mixed to- 
gether, there is no danger of crazing or hair cracking 
any time in the future. 

George McKnight, city engineer of Fredericton, N. 
B., says : "I have used these forms this summer and 
find them very reliable, particularly the joint irons, 
which can be removed without disturbing the concrete 
in any way. The method used to fasten the joint irons 
to the form makes a positive level surface on the 
curb." — J. Mai. Chappell, Fredericton, N. B. [Apr., 
1917, p. 141.] 

Providing Bearing for Floor Beams 

In the concrete walled houses at Claymont, Del., built 
T)y the Morrill system with steel forms, for the Gen- 
eral Chemical Co., the first story walls are 8" thick, 
dropping back to 6" at the second story. In order 
to get a 4" bearing for the floor joists, and to form 
the offset to the 6" wall, beveled blocks, 2" x 8", were 
tacked to a form board (see sketch) ; the form board, 



with the beveled blocks attached, was set in the steel 
form at the required level. Quarter inch wire anchors 
were bedded in the wall and left with ends projecting. 








muz Erj?7/t2Pszc&pj&&r 

Bearing for Floor Beams 



When the wood floor joist were put in place these 
wire anchors were spiked to the ends of the wood 
joist. [Jan., 1919, p. 17.] 



Handy Step Form Detail 



To build concrete steps between walls I lay out the 
steps on the walls, then place heavy plank, say 2 x 
8, one against each wall, where the end of steps come 
only about 8" or V above the line of steps, as each 
face form or riser form is separate. Nail a hanger 
or strip of board 2" from the ends of the riser form 
and place the riser form to the mark on the wall, 
and nail hangers to the plank. Then nail a brace 

37 



from the plank to the form in a horizontal position, 
start at the tip and place all the forms in and con- 
crete from the bottom up. I make the forms out of 
2x4 and nail a board on outside of 2 x 4 to get height 
of riser and a projection, put in a quarter round (or 




Step Form Detail 



use beveled board — see sketch — Editor). Each form 
is set y%" high, so the trowel will go under the 2x4. 
(The lower bevel— see sketch — helps the finisher. — 
Editor.) *Each form is cut %" short. They drop out 
on removing the braces. — Scott Healy, Otsego, Mich. 
[May, ipi8, p. 154.] 



Form Clamps for Splicing Shores 



To save the time and prevent waste in splicing 
shores, the H. O. McMillan Co., Minneapolis, used 
wire and M. & M. clamps, as illustrated. This arrange- 
ment allows the splice to be made with two pieces of 
yr x 4" lumber. A single nail at each end of each 
"scab" is used with a nail collar, so there is no loss 
of lumber whatever in wrecking. 

38 



A test made on this joint resisted 37,210 lbs., and 
the break was 10" below the joint. A second test on 




Shore Splice with M. & M. Clamps 

two 4 x 4's clamped side by side with two No. 8 wires, 
started them sliding at 2,750 lbs., and the joint failed 
at 5,850 lbs., after sliding 6J4". [Apr., 1918, p. 45.] 

Concrete Fireplace Forms 

Concrete for fireplaces offers a pleasing variation 
from brick, especially for rugged effects. 

The illustration details the form work for the 
fireplace, illustrated in the January, 1918, issue of 
Concrete, page 14. 

This fireplace, as built, was in a house having 
concrete walls and floors, but details are shown 
adapting its use to frame construction. The design 
is plain and the forms simple. 

Two pairs of vertical planks determine the thick- 
ness and relation to the house walls. Against these 

39 




w 
u 

< 

►J 



en 
•J 

a 

Q 



40 



verticals are built the mantel forms of dressed lum- 
ber. The small bracket forms are of wood and sheet 
metal set in notches in the main forms, which are 
undercut, as shown, for clearance in stripping. The 
bracket forms are secured by strips accessible from 
the outside. 

The form for the fireplace opening is drawn in 
at its top to conform to the cast iron damper, and 
provides for the face of the fireplace to drop below 
the level of the damper. The entire job is well re- 
inforced as shown by the drawings and by odds and 
ends of wire and rods throughout. 

The concrete face consisted of a washed sand and 
gravel having all the pebbles between Y^" and }i" 
that could be put into the mix without voids. Con- 
crete was placed from the outside in a semi-dry 
mix, the back form — a plank panel was raised as 
concreting progressed. 

Forms were stripped in 24 hours and the face of 
the work scrubbed under a stream of water to ex- 
pose the aggregate. The mantel shelf was faced 
with sand mortar and when hard rubbed smooth 
with a carborundum brick. 

The ornaments on the panel and hearth are green, 
hand-made tile, and the row of red brick that bor- 
ders the hearth is raised about 1" to retain ashes. 
A row of brick surrounds the ash dump, since they 
can be more readily replaced than concrete when 
cracking eventually comes at this point. 

The concrete above the mantel was left rough 
and plastered with the rest of the room, while the 
outside received a coat of mortar and was dashed 
with the exterior of the house. [Oct., 1918, />. 
116.] 



41 



Forms For Concrete Steps 

To build concrete steps that will give satisfaction 
in service depends, so far as the design of the forms 
is concerned, upon the correct proportioning of the 
steps, so that they will "step easy" and look well, 
and upon so building the forms that the concrete 



f 



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Forms for Concrete Steps 



can be placed and the forms removed with minimum 
labor. 

Many of the badly proportioned steps too often 
seen are the results of the attempts of masons and 
handymen to build their own forms, without a 
proper knowledge of carpentry. 

A good carpenter's rule for stair proportioning 
is that the rise and run of the step in inches, when 
multiplied, must equal as nearly as possible 66. 
Thus a 6" rise calls for an 11" tread, and a 7" rise 
for a 9}i" tread. This is the stringer cut and ex- 
clusive of nosings. For exterior concrete steps, 



42 



where space permits, it is good practice to use this 
rule and then add 1" to the tread width. This does 
not greatly change the "easy walking" qualities and 
adds to the appearance of most exterior work. Keep 
the risers low when possible, between %y 2 " and 

Concrete steps can be roughly divided into those 
built between walls or buttresses and those where 
the ends of the steps are open, with or without re- 
turns. 

Where steps are built between buttresses, the 
buttresses are generally built first and the steps 
built between them. This simplifies the forms and 
provides joints at the ends of the steps in case of 
settlement. 

Assuming a typical set of house steps, it is found 
that the vertical height from the walk to the top of 
a veranda floor is 33", while the run of the string 
is not limited, but can be laid out to present the 
best appearance. The 33" of height evidently calls 
for five risers, which are 6.66" high, or to the near- 
est Y%" — 6%'\ The tread width, according to the 
rule, is 66 -f- 6.6, or 10", but may be increased to 
11", and if a nosing is to be used, the exposed 
tread will actually be 12", because of the under cut 
to make the nosing. 

To lay out the string, take a 10" plank and with 
a square lay out the string exactly as for wooden 
stair strings, as a working base. The actual cut- 
ting will depend upon the shape of stair to be built, 
and the riser forms. Three common forms are il- 
lustrated (a) a perfectly plain square step, (b) an 
undercut step, (c) a step with nosing. The cut of 
the riser in the string will vary from the layout line 
to accommodate the forms, as shown at a, b, and c. 

In practice the allowance for the forms, except 
in the case of type b, does not actually affect the 

43 



cut, except at the top or bottom, where a bearing 
is provided for, to support the forms; that is, the 
thickness of the riser forms is allowed at the ends 
of the string. 

The strings can now be sawed out or, as is often 
done, a skeleton string, indicated at c in the illus- 
tration, can be made by nailing strips of odds and 
ends to a 2 x 4 or 2 x 6, using the marked string 
as a pattern. If a solid string is used, it is well to 
set the riser forms %" below the actual lines, by 
means of a little block tacked to each string above 
the riser form. This provides a space of %" for 
troweling, so that the tread can be finished before 
the forms are removed. 

Riser forms should be beveled at the bottom, as 
shown in the illustrations, for the same reason, un- 
less a cove corner is desired, when the riser board 
is rounded, as shown at c. The appearance of most 
steps is improved by a nosing which is easily made 
by the use of a riser board in two sections. This 
is a convenient arrangement, because, having made 
the forms, they may be adjusted to the exact height 
required, and can frequently be re-used. In setting 
the forms allowance should be made for the pitch 
of the treads, which should be about %" from back 
to front. This can be done by setting each riser 
form Y%" higher than the top of the one below it. 

Care is necessary in finishing the treads to see 
that this pitch is maintained and that in settling a 
hollow is not formed in the middle of the tread. 
The pitch of the steps makes them easier to the 
user and serves to drain ofif water rapidly. 

Steps with open strings, without buttresses, while 
more complicated as to form work, in general simply 
involve the return of riser members in some form. 
Such steps present individual problems according 
to their design. [Nov., 1917, p. ^5*.] 

44 



Floors, Sidewalks and Pavements 

Filling Leaky Cracks in Floor 

After a very large reinforced concrete laundry 
building was completed, the topping of the floors (put 
on at the time the slabs were poured) began to show 
cracks running through the whole thing. Water nat- 
urally seeped through. The cracks were too small 
to permit their being filled with anything that would 
stand expansion and contraction. Cutting them out 
and filling with asphaltum compounds was out of the 
question for several reasons, so here is what I did. 





//'Vc&ycams 


* * • • 


i • •• * « 


'S&&Y 
W/&J// 

S&&&&S 









How Cracks Were Filled 

I had the cracks cut out just about y%" wide and 
Yi" deep, the cut always having the crack in the cen- 
ter. 

After all dust had been blown out I hardened the 
cut with a liquid concrete hardener. This was to 
make every little protruding chip strong and also to 
prevent any possible action on the asphalt. Then the 
cracks were washed out to remove the deposit that 
the hardener had produced. When perfectly dry I 
ran a blow torch in the cut to warm it and poured 
about yij' of Elaterite, well heated, into it. It was 
poured in such a way as not to imprison air and made 

45 



to stick to side in a convex manner (see sketch). 
Then I filled the cuts with water and when thoroughly 
soaked, filled them in with 1 :2 concrete. Then a few 
days later I rubbed them down with carborundum and 
hardened them like glass. The asphalt stands all the 
working and the concrete filling the trucking. These 
cracks in places are under terrific strains and the 
2,000 lin. ft. of them are perfectly tight. Above the 
boilers is a washroom and the floor is hot and they 
flood it with cold water, etc. In each panel were, say, 
four cracks. Two stay perfectly tight and cannot be 
detected. One or two act as expansion joints. The 
concrete that I put in and the edge of the old floors 
are so hardened that even when they open no trucks 
damage them and they are absolutely tight. Being 
rubbed smooth, the trucks don't jar and hurt them. — 
Robert B. Lammens, Los Angeles, Cal. [May, iqi8, 
P : 153-} 

How New Floor Surface Was Laid 

I had to put a new surface on a concrete floor 
where a composition floor had gone bad. 

I chiseled some of the old concrete off, so that I 
would not put less than 24" of top on, then stretched 
a wire netting (chicken fence wire) and fastened it 
to the concrete and gave the concrete a good wet- 
ting and kept it continually wet, as there were four 
steam pipes running through the 8' x 12' room, 
also heat from the room below, which kept floor 
warm. Next morning I again wet the concrete 
thoroughly, then scattered neat cement over it and 
broomed it so that cement paste covered all the 
old concrete. Then I proceeded to put on the top 
(1:2). I took care that the old concrete was always 
wet, swept a neat cement grout over it and troweled 
some of the mortar in. As soon as it was ready to 
finish I laid it off in blocks 25" square and cut the 

46 






top with my pointer clear down to the old concrete, 
just as I would have jointed it off with the jointer, 
but I didn't use the jointer. 

Then I troweled over the cuts, As the floor was 
finished there were no cuts to be seen. Two days 
after, very fine hair cracks appeared where I had 
cut the top. They could hardly be seen except by 
stooping down and looking for them. No other 
cracks have appeared except in the corner where 
the steam pipes were and where the top had dried 
too quickly and a few heat cracks appeared. Other- 
wise the floor is sound and solid. 

I have never before seen this method suggested. 
There are floors laid with joints, but they have ob- 
jections, whereas the hair joints that I made leave 
the floor smooth and level and are quickly and easily 
made. — A. K. Siebrandt, Pendleton, Ore. [Apr., 1917, 



•. 



Patching Concrete Pavement 

Patching Openings in Pavements 

Whenever it is necessary to cut an opening in a con- 
crete pavement for sewers, etc., it frequently happens 
that the patch develops cracks. This is no doubt due 
to the variation between the old and the new mixtures 
and the settlement of the freshly loosened earth. 

The accompanying sketch indicates my method of 
eliminating the tendency to crack. The concrete is 
simply laid in the form of an arch. — H. L. Laughlin, 
Chicago. [Feb., 1917, p. 52.] 

47 



Re-Usable Corner for Sidewalk Forms 
Forms for concrete sidewalks with curves of very 
short radii are troublesome to set up at the curves. 
At such curves as those made where approach walks 
splay into the main walk, made-up form curves, as 
shown in the illustration, can be used to good advant- 
age. 



- JS«„. 

<Strzr/ght Ibrm^ 






ZZ2 



J/ckwafk Oracfcn 

sassar — f - 



ESE2* 



-7in 




£/ewf/a?. 



V 

Details of Re-usable Corner for Sidewalk Forms 
A frame of two pieces of 2" x 4" carries two boards 
whose outer edges are cut to the shape of the desired 
curve for the walk. A piece of tin or sheet iron is 
nailed to these edges of the boards to form the curve 
of the form. The straight parts of the walk forms are 
set up and the boards at each corner sawed off to let 
the corner form in afterward. The corner forms 
can be used repeatedly. — J. L. Cozzens, Philadephia. 
[May, 1918, p. 153.] 

Bonding New Top to Old Sidewalk Base 
When an old sidewalk surface goes to pieces I sug- 
gest that all topping that has gone bad be taken off, 
and the surface be cleaned, washed and scrubbed thor- 
oughly with a wire brush so that no particles of con- 
crete or other material will be left on the old surface. 



48 



Then mix a top course of 2 parts cement and 3 parts 
clean, sharp, screened sand, but before applying this 
top coat, thoroughly wet down the whole concrete sur- 
face with water and sprinkle with neat cement. Use 
an old broom and brush this neat cement thoroughly 
into the concrete base and while it is moist, follow 
up with the top coat. Before this is rodded level, 
trowel a small proportion of the top coat thoroughly 
into the concrete. This will eliminate any chances 
of air cells and air pockets between the top coat and 
concrete base. Then finish the top coat by rodding it 
to the proper heights and grades. When the top coat 
is troweled, it should be finished with the fewest pos- 
sible operations, as the more it is troweled, the more 
it will have a tendency to draw the water out of the 
top finish and loosen it from the base. — Frank L. Shoe- 
maker. [Aug., 1917, p. 51.] 

Do Away With Cinders Under Sidewalk 
It is pointed out by a reader of Concrete that in 
spite of its futility, cities still continue to specify a 
cinder sub-base under concrete sidewalks. Cinders 
were originally included for the purpose of providing 
adequate drainage, thereby preventing heaving from 
frost. When frequent side drains to sewers were 
placed, they probably served some purpose. But now 
side drains are no longer required and the sub-base has 
really degenerated into a water basin, into which water 
flows from all the surrounding soil. 

If the natural soil drainage is good there is no need 
for a cinder base ; if the drainage is poor, a pocket is 
provider for collcting water. In expense, a sub-base 
not only involves the cost of the cinders, cost of haul- 
ing, cost of handling and placing, but also the excava- 
tion of the soil for a depth of 9" to 12" and its sub- 
sequent disposal. 

Concrete sidewalks have been in successful use in 
all climates and over all soil conditions, without any 

49 



special provision for underdrainage. Since it is a 
needless expense and consequently more than worth- 
less, the cinder sub-base requirement should be elim- 
inated from every sidewalk specification. [June, 1918, 
p. 205.} 

Sidewalk Joints Around Trees Will 
Prevent Cracking 

The accompanying illustration from Contractors' At- 
las shows a method used in Albany, N. Y., to provide 
space for future growth of trees. If some provision 
is not made in concrete sidewalks, cracks may be 
caused by expansion of the tree trunk and roots. 




Jointing Sidewalk Around Trees 

As the tree trunk grows in size, the section A is re- 
moved by hand — or the roots themselves raise it — and 
still later, if necessary, the section B may be removed. 
The joints at each of these sections allow this to be 
done without cracking or disturbing the adjoining 
slabs of the sidewalk. 

The joints may be conveniently formed of one or 
two thicknesses of tar-paper. This completely pre- 
vents any bond between sections A and B and the 
balance of the sidewalk. [June, 1918, p. 206.] 

50 



A Combined Culvert, Sidewalk, and Curb 

A storm sewer of unusual construction has recently 
been completed at Ann Arbor, Mich., under the di- 
rection of Manley -Osgood, City Engineer, Ann Arbor, 
Mich. 

Conditions were such that it was not necessary to 
use a deep excavation so, a combined sewer, curb and 
sidewalk was decided to be satisfactory and econom- 
ical. The grade of the invert follows a uniform pitch 
but the grade of the cover which also forms the 
sidewalk is varied to conform to local grade. The 
invert and the walls are 6" thick of plain concrete, 
while the 6" slab top is reinforced with 15 sq. in. of 
reinforcing per lin. ft., placed in the form of mesh. 
The invert was placed by grading the excavation and 
sweeping the concrete to shape by templates. Wood 
forms were used for the vertical walls, the sides of 
the excavation serving as a form wherever possible. 
In placing the top the surface was finished as a side- 
walk and the edges, which serve as a curb, were fin- 
ished to below grade. 

The total length of the sewer was 1,350'. The ex- 
cavation was mostly in stiff clay, which held up and 
did not require outside forms, but a few soft spots 
required outer forms. 

COSTS OF SEWER AND SIDEWALK 

1.640 cu. vds. excavation @ 65 cts $1,066.00 

9,646.4 sq. ft. reinforcing @ 2 cts 192.93 

540.6 cu. yds. of concrete <3> $8 45 4,568.07 

110.5 lin. ft. of 12" pipe @ 33c 36.47 

3 tees, 12" @ $1.00 3.00 

5 elbows, 12" @ $1.00 5.00 

7 iron box inlets @ $12 84.00 

8 cast iron covers @ $5.50 44.00 

8 cast iron covers @ $5.50 44.00 

Minor extras 51.63 

Total . $6,051.10 

A construction gang of 8 men to 10 men was em- 
ployed and a paving mixer was used which discharged 
directly into forms. The contractors were Barnes and 
O'Neil, Allegan, Mich. [Nov., 1916, p. 159.] 

51 



Gouge Soft Spots Out of Concrete 
Pavements 
In laying concrete pavements, after the top has been 
surfaced and left to harden but before the covering of 
earth is thrown on, a careful inspection of the surface 
should be made. By the time the concrete has set 
long enough to sustain a man's weight without show- 
ing, small bright and shining spots will be seen on the 
surface. They may be few and far between or there 
may be a great number of them. If the inspector will 
insert his pocket knife into these bright places he will 
find them soft in comparison with the rest of the sur- 
face. It will be found that these soft spots are earth 
or some kind of clay or loam, or a lump of sand, wood, 
coal or soft stone. All this soft material should be dug 
out, the holes cleaned and then filled with fine and 
rich concrete filling the holes a little more than full. 
In spite of all the care possible in providing clean and 
pure material, it is impossible not to have some foreign 
matter get into the concrete, and the adoption of the 
foregoing kink will prevent many a hole in the sur- 
face of a concrete pavement, especially if the stone 
constituent of the concrete is gravel. — Walter E. 
Emery, Supt of Highways, Peoria, 111. [May, ipi8, 

P- * 55-] 
Double Diking for Curing Concrete Roads 

Wherever concrete can be cured by ponding, that 
method is to be preferred over all others. California 
was probably the first state to practice the flooding 
of the finished concrete pavement with a view to keep- 
ing moisture present, to enable the concrete to acquire 
strength and hardness under proper conditions. 

Even where water is obtainable for use in this man- 
ner it is of course desirable to prevent unnecessary 
loss. This is particularly true in hot climates, where 
evaporation is rapid and where scarcity of water more 
often prevails. 

52 



The original method of diking roads in California 
has been improved upon by adding an additional long- 
itudinal dike near the edge of the concrete. This pre- 
vents unnecessary loss of water and gives double as- 
surance that concrete will be covered at the crown 
of the pavement as well as at the sides. These two 
precautions are very essential and the added dike seems 
to make the desired ends more certain. [Nov., 1916, 

P : I54-] 

Strike Board with Raised Handles 

In the construction of the Duwamish-Renton Junc- 
tion Road, laid this year by R. M. Hardy in King 
County, Washington, the workmen raised serious ob- 






5<oeView ILndView 

Strike Board with Raised Handles 

jection to the continued stooping position necessary in 
the use of the strike board, says Concrete Highway 
Magazine. Handles were made of J4" round iron, 
bent as shown in the accompanying diagram, and 
fitted with hand grips consisting of short lengths of 
rubber hose slipped on to the handle framing. The 
handles were then bolted to the strike board at each 
end, making the labor of "running" the heavy 20' 
strike board so much easier that no complaints have 
been heard and that part of the work has gone for- 
ward without a hitch. [Jane, 1918, p. 222.] 

53 



Blueprints for Paving Intersection 

A bunch of blueprints can be made from one 
drawing like the sketch, and then elevations, measure- 
ments and names of streets filled in for every inter- 
section in your paving district, as follows : 1, name 
of cross streets; 2, stake elevation at each end of 
radius ; 3, measurement from hub stake to radius 




Make Up Blue Prints and Fill in White Spaces, Here 

Shown in Black 

stakes; 4, distance of curb from property line; 5, 
distances from back of curbs across street; 6, for 
name of street. 

The blank space on bottom can be used by engi- 
neer for any notation he sees fit to use it for, such 
as legends, etc. — Charles Thomas, Amarillo, Texas. 
[May, ipi8, p. 156.] 

54 



Finishing Concrete Streets with 
Long Float 

In placing a two-course concrete pavement on 
Eleventh street, Wichita Falls, Tex., a novel method 
of finishing was employed which gave most excellent 
results, says the Concrete Highway Magazine. , 

Two 1" x 6" boards, each equal in length to one- 
half the width of the pavement, were spliced so as to 
make a jointed plank, the length of which was equal 
to the width of the street. At each end of this was 
nailed a short piece of 2" stock so notched that the 
outer end rested on the curb and the bottom of the 
float was at the gutter grade. A hole was bored near 
the lower end of this at an angle of about 30° and 
wooden handles were inserted. A man at each end 
then pushed and pulled the float over the pavement, 
finishing in one operation the whole width of the street, 
the float being drawn across the surface as many times 
as was necessary to obtain the required evenness. 

This process eliminated much of the excess water 
and gave an even surface but not one as gritty as that 
produced by the belt finish. [Oct., 1917, p. no.] 

Concrete Paving on Grades 

Concrete, at one time considered in New York State 
as unsuitable for grades steeper than 5%, is now being 
used on grades of 9 % . H. Eltinge Breed, first deputy 
commissioner, New York State Highway Commission, 
in an article in American City, says, "for heavy motor 
truck traffic, the concrete pavement is desirable on 
grades of 9%, or possibly 10%." Such grades, how- 
ever, involve some special considerations which Mr. 
Breed describes and which are summarized as follows : 

"The work should proceed from the bottom of the 
grade uphill. This will permit screeding without wavi- 
ness. A reasonably dry mix should be used ; not so 
dry that tamping is necessary ; care and a little experi- 

55 



meriting in the field will give the exact amount of 
water necessary. Particular care should be taken to 
place all joints perpendicular to the surface. The joint 
material should be placed about J4" below the surface, 
so that the screeding and necessary floating may be 
continued over the top of the joint, to make the sur- 
face smooth. When the cracks come at the joints, 
the spalling can be taken care of by pouring the tar 
and sand. The least possible screeding to secure the 
necessary surface on the concrete should be done and 
the floating should be minimized. 



'Mesh Pe/'nforcemenf 



*J?/nf 




\ 

<Sa6prac/e 



■Y • -v.; 

Subtract* 



Non-Creeper Expansion Joint 



"The surface should be broomed. This will, for a 
time, give the pavement sufficient roughness to hold 
traffic fairly well. It has been suggested many times 
that concrete on grades be scored or marked; but as it 
is only a short space of time before these scorings or 
markings are worn smooth, the extra cost of the work 
is not commensurate with the results. 

r< To overcome a tendency of the concrete slabs to 
creep down hill, the writer designed a non-creeper 
joint, which is now being tested in construction work 
so as to determine its possible advantages. Joints must 
be absolutely perpendicular to the surface." [May, 
1918, p. 186.} 

16 



Smoothing Up Concrete Pavements 

To eliminate transverse waves in concrete roads so 
disagreeable to swiftly moving traffic, S. P. Baird, 
member, A. S. C. E., of Portsmouth, Ohio, says 
(Concrete Highway Magazine) that he has found that 
a float approximately 10' long is the best device that 
can be used. With such a float two men are required, 
one at each end, on separate bridges, and float from 
one edge to the center. In reality such a float is noth- 
ing more nor less than a longitudinal strikeboard 
which smooths down all the spots that may be left 
in the surface by imperfect finishing. 

To prevent floating out the expansion joints, he has 
found it a good practice to nail on the lower edge of 
the filler a row of water soaked lath. These keep the 
joints in a vertical position and prevent them from 
being disturbed when floating. [Oct., 191 7, p. H9>] 

Preventing- Cracks in Concrete Roads 
It must be emphasized that great effort should be 
exerted to protect the concrete during its initial stages 
of hardening. Do not mix it any wetter than neces- 
sary to obtan smooth, yet economical construction. 
Protect it from sudden decrease in temperature and 
keep it wet for at least 2 weeks in order to prevent 
undue shrinkage while the concrete is green. Much 
attention should be given the sub-base, for, as has 
been pointed out, the friction at the base causes trans- 
verse cracks. This friction may be greatly reduced 
by proper care in the preparation of the sub-base and 
in this way the cracks may be widely distributed, if 
not entirely eliminated. In addition, provide proper 
drainage to keep the sub-base as dry as possible, so 
that the effect of frost and the settlement due to mois- 
ture may be eliminated. Finally, design the slab as 
to thickness to carry the loads it is supposed to carry, 
irrespective of whether the sub-base offers uniform 
bearing or not. [Oct., 1917, p. 113.] 

57 



Edger for Concrete Roads 

While serving as Resident Engineer of Concrete 
Road Construction under the Massachusetts Highway 
Commission, Earle O. Turner, at the College of En- 
gineering of the Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute, says, 
in the Concrete Highway Magazine, that he had occa- 
sion to improvise an edger, being unable to locate one 
which would meet with his requirement, as on the 
work under construction it was desired to turn the 
edge of the pavement over on a 3-in. radius and the 
only edger available in the local stores was one with 
a radius of J4". 




J 



vM 



*-£T 




^ 


r 1 






«*. "*• 


r 















More- 

Initio tly this was the full %/nch 
thickness but was subsequently 
ground down and found to 
operate to better advantage 

Detail of Home Made Edger 

A sketch was made, as shown in the accompanying 
figure, and the local blacksmith turned out a tool 
which was entirely acceptable, with one objection, that 
he did not bevel off the edge, but left the full thickness 
of metal which caused the stone to be picked up as 
the edger ran along the inside of the form. When 
this fault was corrected, it was found that a clean edge 
of a 3-in. circular curve was easily finished and gave 
the road a solid and pleasing appearance. 

A radius as great as 3" is not often used on con- 
crete road work, 1^4" being the amount of curvature 
usually called for. The edger could be made up, how- 
ever, for any desired radius. [July, 1917, p. 7.] 



53 



Saving Men on a Paving Job 

We herewith submit a labor-saving device on con- 
crete paving. We operate Koehring and Chicago 
mixers. We operate both swing boom and revolv- 
ing chute distributors. We conceived the idea of 
constructing four specially built carts for each ma- 
chine, to carry the mineral aggregate from storage 
piles to mixer. The carts are low built and narrow- 
gauge, in order to handle them conveniently at the 
hoist. They are equipped with dump body, contain- 
ing 9 cu. ft., separated into two compartments, rear 
compartment being 3 cu. ft., with a swinging tail 
gate, the second compartment being 6 cu. ft., with 
a swinging gate between the two compartments. 
Beds are built long and narrow so as to dump quick- 
ly and to allow the body to clear of its load before 
the cart goes off the hoist pan. 

The dump and the tail gate are operated by the 
driver in the cart. We load our gravel with a Key- 
stone shovel and on a narrow street or in a close 
place have two men to shovel 3 cu. ft. of sand in 
the rear of the cart. As the cart passes back toward 
the mixer, a bag of cement is thrown on, making 
one complete batch mix, proportions 1 :3 :6 (pave- 
ment base). The cart, loaded with material, is 
backed on to the hoist pan and the load tripped by 
the driver. 

On a wide street of 36' or more, we use a port- 
able bin and put both sand and gravel into the bin 
with the steam shovel, and then draw it from the 
portable bin into the carts. This only takes an in- 
stant. 

In operating either way, four mules, four lead 
boys, two shovelers, one operator for steam shovel, 
one tripper and one clean-up man take the place of 
14 men as formerly employed. At the present pre- 
vailing wages, the cost of our former way of operat- 

59 



ing is much greater than with the present equipment 
used. 

We find also that we can lay more yardage per 
day with this means of handling our material than 
we could with so many laborers. There is now no 
confusion at the hoist pan, as formerly, when three 
wheelbarrow men were trying to get on the hoisting 
pan, while another wheeling gang were on the way. 

The carts were built by Frank H. Post & Co., 
Knoxville, and this plan of handling material was 
designed and worked out by George J. Oehler, gen- 
eral superintendent of the Murray Construction Co., 
of Knoxville. — Fred L. Conner, Murray Constr. Co., 
Knoxville, Tenn. [Sept, 1918, p. 92.] 

Bulk Cement in Road Work 
Bulk cement was used in road construction work in 
Ohio by Williams & Little Co., contractors, Cleveland. 
It was first used by this company last year (1915) in 
the construction of 8 miles of concrete road 16' wide, 
7J4" thick at the center. Tight wagon boxes holding 
65 cu. ft. were used and the wagon was set so that 
the top of the box was level with the car floor, an 
extra wagon being employed so as not to hold a team. 
In opening a car of cement a coal chute was used to 
the wagon, hanging the upper end on planking across 
the door and shoveling to it. Then a platform was 
used from car to wagon. With a two-wheeled cart 
of special make, low hung and with open end body, 
a man drove the body into the cement and finished 
filling with a long-handled, winged hoe, especially 
made. This was wheeled out and dumped into the 
wagon. By these methods a wagon was loaded in 
from 12 minutes to 15 minutes. 

Especially made boxes were used to receive the 
cement on the work. These boxes are 2' 6" x 2' x 12", 
holding an equivalent of 60 sacks. Two men could 
carry these ahead when light or chain and drag 

eo 



behind wagon. A coal chute was again used in load- 
ing cement to the boxes from the wagons. Boxes 
were so placed and filled as to carry the work forward 
a given distance, always the same. The mixer is 
charged from wheelbarrows built to hold enough ce- 
ment for one batch when level full. 

The Williams & Little Co. is equipping to handle 
bulk cement still more cheaply or more cheaply than 
sack cement. So far the report is that there is ab- 
solutely no waste in its use, that it is bought more 
cheaply, that there is no loss or care of sacks, no money 
invested in sacks, no loss in transit or on work in case 
of storm, all boxes being equipped with a ridge pole 
and tarpaulin. Cost figures on sack cement and on 
bulk cement used as described show a saving of 8 cents 
per barrel in the use of the bulk material. [July, 1916, 

f • 35-] 

Roller and Belt Road Finish 

Specifications for the finish of concrete road sur- 
faces with roller and belt, suggested by the Portland 
Cement Assn., in the Concrete Highway Magazine, 
are as follows : 

As soon as possible after the concrete has been struck 
off, it shall be rolled with an approved metal roller, having 
a smooth, even surface, approximately 6' long, not less 
than 8", nor more than 12" in diameter, and weighing not 
more than 100 lbs. On pavements less than 20" wide, the 
roller may be operated with a handle, which shall be at 
least 2' longer than the width of the pavement, and all 
rolling shall be done from one side of the slab. On pave- 
ments 20' and more in width, the roller shall be provided 
with two bails to which ropes shall be attached, and the 
roller pulled across the pavement. The roller shall be 
operated at such an angle with the center line of the 
pavement that it advances along the pavement about two 
feet for each time across. The roller shall pass from 
one edge of the pavement to the other, care being taken 
not to run the roller over the side forms so that earth 
or other foreign material will adhere to it. After the 
roller has covered a given area in the manner described, 
the same area shall be similarly covered by the roller 

61 



for not less than three times at intervals of 15 to 40 min- 
utes, and as many times additional as may be necessary 
to remove excess water. 

After the rolling has been completed the pavement shall 
be finished by two applications of a belt made of canvas 
or rubber belting", not less than 6" wide and not less than 
2' longer than the width of the pavement. The belt shall 
be applied with a combined .cross-wise and longitudinal 
motion. For the first application vigorous strokes at least 
12" long shall be used, and the longitudinal movement of 
the belt along the pavement shall be very slight. The 
second application of the belt shall be immediately after 
the water glaze or sheen disappears, and the stroke of 
the belt shall be not more than 4", and the longitudinal 
movement shall be much greater than for the first belting. 

[May, 1918, p. 186.] 

Filling Cracks in Floors 

Too much trowelling will usually cause hair 
cracks and in the case of floors, dusting. Fine cracks 
in the cement can be filled by wetting the concrete 
and dusting on dry cement. Water will draw the 
cement into the cracks. This is a better method 
than pouring a paste of cement and water into the 
cracks. [Jan., 1917, />. 6\] 

Patching Concrete Floors Quickly 
One of the principal objections often raised against 
the use of concrete finished floors is the difficulty and 
cost of successfully repairing places that have become 
worn or damaged. For best results it is usually con- 
sidered necessary to cut down the worn place at least 
V/z" into the unbroken concrete, undercut the edges, 
clean out the dust and loose particles thoroughly, wash 
with a thin cement grout, fill in with a paste grout 
and finally float to a level surface a mortar of cement 
and crushed stone or gravel. The patch must then 
be kept moist for at least 1 week or 10 days, keeping 
all traffic oflf in the meantime. 

W. P. Anderson, President, Ferro-Concrete Const. 
Co., Cincinnati, states that his company often uses 

62 



a method of patching concrete floors which is much 
cheaper and requires far less time than the method 
commonly used. This method requires the use of a 
mastic material made from a mixture of asbestos fiber 
and rubber gum. This mixture is applied with a 
trowel after thoroughly cleaning the damaged surface. 
Very little cutting of the old concrete is necessary, 
other than to break off loose particles. The gum can 
be worked to a feather-edge so that it will readily 
join with the undamaged concrete surface and elim- 
inate the undercutting required with the old style of 
patch. 

A patch of this sort can be opened to foot traffic 
within a few hours and to heavy traffic within a day 
or so. It is thus possible to repair a much used por- 
tion of a mill or factory floor almost overnight. The 
cost varies with the size of the patch, but will amount 
to from 16 cents to 18 cents per square foot. [Sept., 
1916, p. 96.] 

New Top Finish on a Poor Floor 

A large new store was finished last fall, 6 stories, 
2 basements, 200' x 200' or so. Floor topping poured 
on like soup, no windows in, rapid drying out, no 
signs of markings or expansion joints, nothing at all. 
Result, topping cracked like mud put on a brick wall, 
not a space that a hat covers was whole. Besides, so 
rotten that the janitors swept the sand out of the 
floors. Being so rotten, the little cracks broke out and 
in places fully %" of the finish was gone. It was 
rough, never saw anything like it. This is what I did. 
Took a very light rubbing machine and even that little 
thing would have buried itself on soft spots. I was 
obliged to rub dry because, wet, the carborundum 
stones cut faster and tore everything to pieces. When 
rubbed just superficially, as it was impossible to rub 
smooth, I took the vacuum hose. This cleaned out 
all the cracks and left the whole thing rougher than 



ever. Then I hardened it with Lapidolith. The next 
day went over with wire brush to remove all loose 
particles, vacuum cleaned, then soaked for hours with 
water and flooded with neat cement grout. The vac- 
uum had cleaned every pin hole and crack so well that 
they ran full of cement. The next night another dose 
of Lapidolith, next night same story. Wetted them 
all night for several days and the old floor and filling 
got like flint. Then to remove that excess of cement 
I put on the machine a sand paper buffer and the floors 
shine. They are so hard that steel will not touch them. 
This scheme is just like what is done in the manufac- 
ture of terrazzd tile to fill the pin holes. (We worked 
at night and never interfered with the store's business.) 
When the grout is worked in, it is struck off, so that 
the excess that I took off with sand paper was very 
thin, a mere film. The trick is to get all the holes 
even full and the cement so that it will not shrink and 
leave depressions afterward. I fixed part of one floor 
about 7,000 sq. ft. All the rest of the floors are car- 
peted but I suppose that all through the building it is 
the same story. This naturally works only where the 
topping sticks to the base. — Robert B. Lammens, Los 
Angeles, Cal. [May, ipi8, />. 156.] 



64 



For Concrete Products Manufacturers 



Mixer Loader Saves Time in Products Plant 

We have a Blystone mixer, which is fed from the 
sand bin in the rear. Shoveling the sand direct into the 
mixer and then watching it mix was taking too much 
unnecessary time, so I built a loader. 

I first raised the mixer 12" above the floor, so as 
to make more room to dump, then hinged two 2 x 4's 




Home Made Mixer Loader 

to the sill of the mixer, using a common screw and 
cap hinge. The 2x4 should be about 5y 2 ' long, or 
just long enough for the box to clear the mixer drum. 
The box is made of wood and lined with sheet iron, 
and should be well made and securely braced. It 
should be just the size to hold a batch. As I had no 
dutch and the machine shops wanted $30 for a clutch 
and drum, I made one by placing a pulley on the line 

65 



shaft. Any size will do, and another pulley and a 
drum on a counter shaft. This shaft was placed a 
little above the line shaft and about V in rear of 
mixer. The drum was made by bolting two 2 x 6's 
to the counter shaft and rounding it off. Then I put 
a 3" leather belt on the two pulleys. This belt should 
be loose, so that the line shaft will revolve without 
moving the counter shaft. Now, by attaching another 
pulley to a movable lever, so that by pulling down 
on the level the pulley tightens the belt — up she goes. 
I use y%" wire cable and fasten one end to the drum 
and pass through a pulley fastened to the box half 
way between the center and one end, and then through 
a pulley located somewhere above the center of the 
mixer, and fasten to the other end of box. The accom- 
panying sketch will show how anyone can make a 
loader of this kind. I have used this loader for three 
years without any expense except the renewal of the 
cable. — J, W. Gilbert, Mgr. Concrete Products Co., 
Columbus, Ohio. [May, ipi8, p. 155.] 

Home-made Mixer Loader 

I have my Blystone mixer equipped with a home- 
made loader. This has increased the capacity of 
the mixer 100% and saves one man's time. Before 
I attached the loader I worked two men at the 
mixer, but this is by much longer mixing than that 
ordinarily given concrete work. Extra mixing takes 
the place of considerable water, and excess water 
is a detriment to the work, decreasing the density 
of the finished concrete. A small percentage of 
hydrated lime in your mixture would probably be 
of considerable assistance in getting a smooth flow- 
ing consistency, and one which will settle into place 
without air bubbles. — E. E. Elkins, Arcadia, Fla. 
[Mar,, 1918, p. 100.] 



Cutting Molds Direct from Plaster 

In getting out plaster molds for two consols a New 
England stone manufacturer reversed the usual order 
of procedure and saved considerable on the job. 

Instead of modeling the work in clay and making 
plaster molds, he hired two wood carvers who cut the 
molds direct in plaster, working out the design in 
intaglio rather than relief. One entire operation was 
thus eliminated and for $50, work was done that by 
the methods usually employed would have cost three 
times that amount. 

It occasionally happens that the services of wood 
carvers can be had when modelers are not available. 
A large products factory in the middle west used a 
former wood carver to produce plaster models instead 
of clay models. Instead of the modeler's method of 
building up his design, clay on clay, the carver first 
casts a block of plaster, marks out his design in the 
rough and produces his result like the stone carver 
by cutting away. [Jane, 1918, p. 207.} 

Consistency for Plaster Molds 
Concrete of a wetter consistency can be used safely 
in sand molds in which much of the excess water is 
taken up, than in more nearly impervious molds such 
as plaster, which have been well finished with shellac. 
Manufacturers of concrete in sand molds use plaster 
molds for such pieces as can be more economically 
made in plaster, but changing the mix in order to make 
a few plaster mold casts causes delay and inconvenience 
not always justified. One manufacturer of concrete 
stone finds it more satisfactory to pour his plaster 
molds from the same batches used in the sand molds 
and afterwards fill the pin holes in the plaster mold 
casts. The necessary fluid quality of the mix can be 
obtained with less water by long mixing and results 
in a minimum of separation of materials. [Jane, IQ18, 
p. 217.} 

67 



A Bag Cleaner Saves Cement 

Wherever bagged cement is used in quantity it 
is well to consider the installation of bag cleaning 
equipment. 

The records of the Omaha Concrete Stone Co. 
show that about a half pound of cement can be 
recovered from each sack cleaned. On the basis 
of present cement prices, the direct saving from 
1,000 sacks is approximately $3.00. To this is added 
the freight that would be paid on the recovered 
cement when returning the bags. 




A Cement Sack Cleaner Used by the Omaha Concrete 

Stone Co. 

Indirectly the cleaner greatly reduces the disa- 
greeable feature of shaking and bundling bags since 
they are free from dust. 

The cleaner consists of an eight sided drum 
mounted on a shaft and enclosed in a tight casing. 
The drum is 3' 6" wide and 4' 9" in diameter, cleans 
50 sacks at a time and runs 12 r. p. m. 

The construction is indicated by the accompany- 
ing illustration and can of course be varied to fit 
the maker's ideas and material most readily at 
hand. Bulk cement, however, gets rid of the sacks 
altogether. [May, ipi8, p. 155.] 

68 



Plaster Mold Pieces in Sand Molds 

It frequently happens that concrete stone casts 
which can be readily made in sand molds, except for 
some small undercut detail, can still be handled in sand 
by first making a glue mold of just that one detail. 
From the glue mold a glue model is made and from 
the glue model a sufficient number of plaster molds 
to take care of each duplication of the pattern. The 
plaster mold is assembled with the pattern in the sand, 
the pattern removed and the plaster detail mold left 
in place. When the hardened concrete cast is taken 
out of the sand the plaster is chipped away from the 
undercut detail. 

This method would usually be adopted only when 
a number of like units were to be made. Should an 
intricate detail be a feature of a pattern to be repro- 
duced once or twice only, it would probably be more 
economical merely to rough out the detail on the pat- 
tern and let the undercut be put in by the stone cutters, 
when the work is finished. It is in minimizing the 
stone cutting that the high class concrete stone is made 
to undersell natural stone, so when units are several 
times duplicated it is better to go to some pains with 
the pattern to save on the final cutting. [June, 1918, 

p. 210.] 

Sulphur Molds 

In searching for a material to make molds for 
ornamental concrete work in the Engineering De- 
partment, University of Nevada, the idea occurred 
to someone to use sulphur, which is readily obtain- 
able in large quantities and at small expense to the 
University of Nevada. The sulphur molds give an 
exceptionally smooth surface and in general the re- 
sults are much better than obtainable with plaster 
molds. The sulphur contracts slightly in cooling. 
[Feb., 1917, p. 70.] 

69 



Prepare Their Own Facing Aggregates 

The Maul Co., manufacturers of concrete stone, 
Detroit, prepares a large percentage ( f its own fac- 
ing materials, using a small Wheeling crusher and a 
Universal pulverizer, each with a capacity of 4 tons 
per day. The company buys Vermont granite at 
less than $4.00 a ton in small spalls, most of them 
of a size which can be fed direct to the crusher, 
w'here the first reduction is made. The material 
then goes to the pulverizer, to get a finer material 
suitable for facing mixtures. The company's object 
in preparing its own facing materials is not so much 
to get a cheaper product as to get a product with in- 
dividuality, since the same kind of stone is not used by 
other concrete stone manufacturers. 

There is a thought here for concrete ctone manu- 
facturers which is particularly worth while, and 
which a good many might well take advantage of, 
even more conveniently than the Maul company, as 
local materials of some kind or other suitable for 
facing are frequently available. It is just a question 
of preparing them for use. [Mar., 1918, p. 89.] 

A Faced Product in Sand Molds 

A special sand cast stone product for which one 
manufacturer has considerable call is made by lining 
the sand mold in a thin layer next to the pattern with 
a white crystaline rock sand, of coarse texture. A 
certain amount of the pattern sand always clings to a 
stone cast in sand anyway and in the special product 
referred to, this fact is taken advantage of to produce 
a stone with an outer coating that appears not unlike 
loaf sugar. Such stone is only lightly rubbed down 
in finishing. This practically amounts to a faced prod- 
uct, which is unusual in sand cast work. [Mav, ipi8, 
p. i6 9 .] 

70 



Time-Saver for Block Manufacturer's ■ 
Draftsman 

We make a working drawing of the different ele- 
vations of every job, which means a lot of time (and 
patience) if you have to use a compass to space the 
horizontal joints and more time and a lot more pa- 
tience if you have to mark in all the end joints indi- 
vidually. Instead of using a compass to space off the 
heights of the courses and the lengths of the blocks, 
I procured a piece of 20 gauge iron and bent it into 
the shape of an angle iron 94" x 24" and about 8" 
long. On one side of this I formed teeth with a 
round file, so that the points were the exact distance 
apart that the courses of blocks should show on the 
plan. Of course, this should allow for mortar joint 
as well, which in our case represented 8^$" in all. 
On the other edge of this angle I made the points to 
correspond to one-half the length of a block laid in 
the wall. When I had the teeth carefully made I side- 
dressed the points so that when they were pressed on 




Jtf?r/Z£ C<X/&5£^/34C£a 



"7 \jnn t irj\asvinr\Knrvuvv\f\M.r \ 



<?/?C'0£ar//&WJ3p J 4t////0 &&%& 



Time Saving Tools for a Draftsman 

the paper they left a mark like an awl point rather 
than a chisel. To use this spacer simply place the 
points of the teeth on the drawing paper, either along 
the horizontal or vertical line, as the cases may be, 
and press the points into the paper, which leaves a 
row of dots in the proper places for the base lines 



71 



or the end joints. If the tool is carefully made, a 
person can scale the wall openings from the drawings 
as accurately as to figure them. 

The other tool is for marking in the end joints 
after the horizontal lines are all drawn. It is made 
out of a piece of extra heavy drawing paper about 
1/4" wider than the blade of the tee square, and 12" 
or 13" long. It has a slot in each end about >%" 
wide for the square to slip through, and along one 
edge there is a row of notches, each one the width 
that the horizontal joints are apart on the drawing. 
When this is slipped on the tee square the notches 
should show partly by the edge. To use this, use the 
tee square from the bottom of the drawing board and 
adjust the gauge to suit the horizontal lines and draw 
the pencil along the square as if the gauge was not 
there. The result will be that there will be a row of 
dashes representing the end joints of every other 
course of blocks. When the elevation is gone over 
once, shift the gauge on the tee square the width of 
one space and go over it again to get the end joints of 
the other courses. By using these tools we find that 
after a little practice we can save 50% of the time 
originally used in this work. 

We use a y%" scale on our elevations, as a J4" * s 
a little too fine and is harder to follow on the job, 
while J4" is too bulky. — Harry Boyd, Mgr. Boyd 
Bros., Osgood, Ont. [June, ipi8, p. 208.] 

Removing Lumps from Casting Sand 

The casting sand used in sand molds in concrete 
stone manufacture becomes useless through the ac- 
cumulation of little lumps of concrete, splinters and 
debris generally. A revolving screen, power driven, 
that may be moved throughout the length of the shop, 
is used to good advantage to put the casting sand back 
into condition for use. [June, 1918, p. 207.] 

79 



Lightening a Lawn Roller 

We are now making up our stock of concrete lawn 
rollers for spring delivery. The accompanying illus- 
tration shows a kink we use in making them light in 
weight and yet have a large diameter, which makes 
the roller easy to handle. 




P£/N/V&Q?M£MT 






»~\v 






CAN 

J 



IP.X 



THJeoUGH 







C&035 Jlfcr/OM r/fPOUGtf 

//was jeon&e. 

How the Roller is Made 
The roller shown is 24" in diameter and 18" wide, 
and weighs about 300 lbs. From the local garages 
we get empty grease and oil cans which usually go 



73 



to the dump. A 5-gal. Polarine can is just the thing 
for this size roller. This answers as a core and light- 
ens the roller and saves concrete. — Carl W. Baum- 
gardner, Baumgardner Concrete Products Co., Tiffin, 
Ohio. [June, 1918, p. 208.] 

A Container for Mixed Concrete 

A concrete stone manufacturer, pressed in extra 
busy times because of lack of capacity in his agitator 
or auxiliary mixer, from which the concrete is de- 
posited in sand molds, uses a hopper-shaped receptacle 
of sheet metal with spout and spigot, in which a big 
batch can be quickly deposited and later drawn off in 
pails, agitated with a paddle and deposited by hand for 
small casts. [June, 1918, p. 207, .] 

A New Idea in Corn Cribs 
Corn cribs, factory made, easily erected, that afford 
ventilation and exclude vermin, are being built of con- 
crete. 

One such corn crib is owned by A. W. Stewart, 
Lacey, Iowa, and was built by the Caldwell Silo Co., 
which has applied for patents on some of the construc- 
tion details. 

The units are modified silo staves, 10" x 30" x 254". 
Each stave has two 4^2 " x 9" openings, guarded by 
four %" bars, to exclude vermin. The crib sets on 
a concrete foundation, through which, just above the 
ground line, are 8" concrete drain tile with screened 
openings to the outside. These tile connect with the 
openings in a layer of concrete blocks laid on their side. 
Over these blocks is a layer of smooth troweled con- 
crete. At the center of the crib is a chimney con- 
nected with the ducts in the floor. The chimney shell 
is built of blocks, some of which are laid on their 
side so as to ventilate the entire body of corn thor- 
oughly. This crib successfully carried 2,000 bu. of 
corn last winter. [June, 19 18, p. 222.] 

74 



Concrete Stone Patches 

Patching and piecing concrete stone successfully 
provide a way out of difficulties when breakage oc- 
curs, and at once suggest a means for economy — in 
special cases and not as general practice — in making 
intricate pieces of cast stone in separate parts which 
are subsequently joined. 

An Eastern concrete stone manufacturer casting 
in sand molds, has found patches very successful. 
Supposing a piece is broken away from a cast whose 
recasting would mean considerable loss, all that is 
necessary is a mixture of materials identical with 
that used in the original cast. The broken surface 
is cleaned thoroughly, all loose particles brushed out 
and the break well wetted. To the dry mix water is 
then added to obtain a plastic consistency. The 
patch is applied and roughly modeled to shape, great 
care being taken to keep it wet by applying wet 
cloths, until thoroughly hard. The stone men who 
finish the work then tool the patch to proper shape. 
If this work is well done there is no breakage, the 
patch apparently being as strong as any part of the 
stone. 

Following this idea of successful patches, the man- 
ufacturer referred to had some intricate gothic finials 
to cast. The pattern and mold problem could be 
greatly simplified if the stones were made in two 
pieces, with one flat side each — the two pieces, to 
be joined on the flat sides, forming a center plane 
of the finished stone. The pieces were made in 
halves and slightly hollowed in the center, a hollow 
on each flat side as big as one's fist, the stone having 
a cross section of about 12". Into one hollow an iron 
hook was set, the ends embedded in the concrete at 
the bottom of the hollow. When hard enough to 
handle the surfaces to be joined were cleaned, wet- 
ted, grouted with a tinted mix like the stone; the 

75 



hollows filled with a like mix and the joint made, 
the hook embedded on one side reaching into the 
opposite hollow and reinforcing the joint. The knife 
edge of the joint was tooled, and "nobody could tell 
the difference." Another manufacturer turned out 
some elaborately modeled balustrade sections in the 
same way. 

Patches are apt to be unsuccessful unless the sur- 
face so patched has subsequent treatment of a vig- 
orous sort. In making a piece of concrete pottery, 
the writer had to patch the legs of a small urn. Tile 
for inlays had been glued into the mold. On releas- 
ing the urn from the mold, the concrete below the 
tile inlays on the three legs was soft — probably due 
to excess glue, which the plastic concrete had ab- 
sorbed. The legs were cut away where they were 
soft, the remaining hard surface brushed out and 
soaked with water and patches modeled in place, 
the urn (24 hours old), standing on a small metal 
pallet. The mix was one part white cement (10% 
hydrated lime added) and 1 part each of fine white 
marble and buff stone, with 5% of yellow ochre. 
Some of the dry mixture had been saved before 
water was added for the original cast, and this was 
used for patches and for filling small imperfections. 
When hard, the surface was vigorously rubbed with 
fine carborundum and given an acid bath further to 
expose the aggregate. The patches cannot be de- 
tected from the original cast in the finished job. 
—Editor. [April, 1918, p. 132.] 

Reinforced Concrete "Bankers" 
Rigidity of bankers is an advantage and reinforced 
concrete was used at the factory of the Hydro-Stone 
Products Co., Chicago. In rebuilding an improve- 
ment is suggested by J. K. Harridge, who would have 
an iron rail or plate in the top to facilitate sliding the 
pallets. [June, iQi8,p, 207.] 

76 



Plaster Mold of Baluster 

The baluster mold shown in the sketch is a good, 
rugged mold to use where the character of the work is 
such that the ordinary standard iron mold will not do. 
The wood backs are made to form a box, the inside 
measurements of which are the same as the square 
section of the baluster. These are properly doweled. 
Dowels are the best device to use to insure the parts 
of the mold membering up true. From a full size 
detail the plaster shop makes a model out of plaster 
by turning with a sheet metal template. The mold is 
cast in plaster around this model in the following 
manner. 





Plaster Mold of Baluster 

One side board is placed flat upon the bench jind the 
baluster model is placed upon it in the correct position. 
Enough plaster is then worked under and around it to 
form about one-fourth of the mold. When this plaster 
has set, remove model, scrape the sides smooth and 
grease (with mixture of steric acid and kerosene) to 
form a parting as the next quarter section is cast up 
to it. Replace side board and model in original posi- 
tion and put the two end boards on edge in place. Cast 
about one-quarter of the mold on each of them and 
finish as before and reassemble. Make a 1" hole 
through the second side board or last quarter of the 



77 



box, place it in position on model and mold, and 
through the hole pour liquid plaster to form the last 
quarter of the plaster mold. This section will be form- 
ed entirely by the model and adjacent end boards. 

Take the mold apart, paint it, and give the working 
surface two coats of thin shellac. 

To insure the plaster sticking to the wood, drive 
nails into it, letting the heads stick out. At any point 
where the plaster would work thin, the wood should 
be chiseled out. 

When used this mold should be rammed from each 
end. Use a wood tamp and do not hit the plaster. 
Take the mold off at once and smooth the seams with 
a stick. 

The plaster man must use his judgment and apply 
the method that best fits the character of the work 
to be done. In the baluster mold the first three sides 
would be made with semi-set, or stiff plaster ; the last 
one would, however, be made with thin plaster. 

Probably 98% of all plaster work was done in 
slightly stiff plaster, which is worked into position with 
the bare hands, without the use of stops or gates of 
any sort. This is the practice of the expert plaster 
man. 

Plaster should be mixed to the consistency of cream 
and then not disturbed, as a body, until dipped out to 
use. To stir it continually hastens the setting a great 
deal. — Paul H. Beatty, George Rackle & Sons Co., 
Cleveland. [Jane, 1918, p. 210.] 

Making Plaster Molds Last Longer 

A stone manufacturer reports that common salt put 
in plaster has a tendency to give a harder, more resist- 
ant surface on molds. Then if several coats of shellac 
are used the life of a plaster mold is prolonged. [May, 
1 9 18, p. 169.] 

78 



Making Mold For Stone With Undercut 

Molding 

In the sketch is presented the solution of a problem 
of undercutting a form of molding usually encountered 
in Gothic work. To make it possible to cast this type, 
moldings cannot be split at their natural intersections, 
but must be split at some point (A) in the molding. 
By pulling No. 1 first, we get enough clearance so that 
No. 4 may be pulled in the direction shown without 
breaking the nose off the fresh stone. 

T//ry Mo&r ^ 
&///£!? 7D /%&& 




lM^_f£ J 

Making Mold for Stone with Undercut Molding 

This stone, as well as all stones of this type, up to 
3' in depth, should be cast nose down. This method 
saves banker space, and all of the faced surfaces are 
formed by the mold, eliminating the necessity of hand 
work with a trowel, which is costly and always causes 
checking. 

If the stone is too deep to cast in this way, cast it 
as it will be laid in the wall and trowel the wash on. 
Then cover the faced portion with white sand before 
putting the bed sand on to turn over. — Paul H, Beatty, 
George Rackle & Sons Co., Cleveland. [June, M)i8 } 
p. 20 9 .\ 



79 



Advertising Concrete Block on the Job 

Lee Mills who makes concrete block of the double 
Anchor type in Muskegon, Mich., advertises his pro- 



sJ: 



sis: 



A 



I 



Look at Hie 
Air Space 

a aaunnoBSB a 

FROST S MOISTURE- 
PROOF STONE 



Mills Cement Products Co. 
Foot of Hall St 



2222 



rs 



Sign Used to Advertise Block On the Job 

duct on the job with signs like that in the sketch. 
[Apr., 1917, p. 149.] 

Two Kinks for Products Makers 

In making a plaster mold I ran short of plaster of 
paris. Not being able to get it on time I substituted 
Portland cement, using half of each, and was surprised 
at the strong, clean mold I obtained. I oiled it weM 
with cylinder oil, filled it with a running mixture of 
sand and cement, let it stand for 36 hrs., and it came 
out nice and clean and the mold just as good as ever. 

In making burial vaults I always had trouble in 
getting the wire netting straight and keeping it that 
way until the mold was filled. By using two or three 
pieces of J4" twisted steel rods, according to width, 
and wiring to netting (am using all No. 9 farm fenc- 
ing) I can keep it straight, at the same time add to 
the strength. — Nicholas Melcher. [July, 191 7, p. 27.] 

80 



Concrete Water Meter Boxes 

When it was decided to install water meters in his 
town, William Acheson, Superior, Neb., knew there 
would have to be a place provided in which to set 
them. 

He designed a cylindrical concrete shell provided 
with attachments for covers and secured the approval 
of the designs by the local authorities. 

He then made up a stock of boxes and waited for 
the demand. It came and several hundred boxes were 
sold and installed at a neat profit. [June, ipi8, />. 206, .] 

Finishing Stone — Tools Used 

That the manufacture of a high quality concrete 
stone in the finishes to which many architects, par- 
ticularly in the East, have been educated, is essen- 
tially a stone man's job, is clearly pointed out by one 
cf the successful manufacturers. 

Instead of quarrying the stone in usable units, the 
concrete man takes what, from the natural stone 
man's standpoint, is quarry waste. He crushes it, 
grades it, and produces as the first step a high qual- 
ity concrete in convenient units. At that stage in 
his operations he has progressed only a little farther 
than the natural stone man who has done the pre- 
liminary sawing of the quarried stone. From there 
on the concrete stone manufacturer's work is the 
stone man's work. His tools and his methods are 
almost identical. An inventory of the finishing 
methods in a concrete stone plant reveals that he 
may use saws, planers, rubbing machinery, pneu- 
matic or electric cutting tools, rasps, scrapers, sand- 
paper, picks — all these and more — in getting the 
finished outline and the desired surface. 

To do this, however, he has in his favor certain 
economies open to his use which the natural stone 
man is denied. In casting his concrete units he can 

81 



eliminate a great deal of waste, a great deal of cut- 
ting and tooling by casting to a close approximation 
of the finished piece. 

It is interesting that in a factory employing 150 
men making concrete stone, most of it is in sand molds, 
but many special pieces in plaster and glue, there 
>vere 30 men in the special mold and pattern shop 
and 35 men engaged in the final dressing of the casts. 
[Oct., 1918, p. 121.] 

Rough Textured Block Made in 
"Tamp" Machine 

Since so much interest has developed in rough tex- 
tured concrete block, as a means to livelier and more 
interesting surfaces, it has frequently been contended 
that such surfaces cannot be obtained on block made 
in dry tamp equipment. On the other hand it has also 
been contended that the difficulties are chiefly in the 
imagination of some block makers who have been 
wedded to the slick looking surfaces obtained with 
fine sand facings— -surfaces which seldom have the 
variety and attractiveness which coarser facing mate- 
rials would give. Block with rough, interesting sur- 
face were made for the Universal Portland Cement 
Co/s new sack building at Buffington, Ind., on two 
different types of tamp equipment — a Hobbs machine 
under a Kramer automatic tamper and in an Ideal 
machine under hand tamps. 

The fact was established that coarse, lean facings, 
with no sand, can be handled in the commonest types 
of equipment. It is merely a matter for the taste and 
resourcefulness of individual manufacturers to develop 
logically in selected aggregates for facings — coarse, 
vigorous surfaces. The particular block in question 
were neither brushed nor sprayed. The results are 
comparable to those obtained by Chicago's South Park 
Commissioners on a great deal of attractive work cast 
in place. [Dec, ip if, p. 179.} 

82 



A Kink in Flower Box Construction 

I have used the method herewith shown to make a 
concrete flower box. Over a wooden form, a sheet of 
expanded metal was placed, then a coat of about 3^" 




Detail of Flower Box Construction 

of concrete. After this had set, a stucco coat was 
applied with pleasing results. I would use the same 
method again. — A. E. Holmes, Sac City, Iowa. [Nov., 
1918, p. /<5p.] 

Handling Cement, Aggregate, and Mixed 
Concrete in Products Plant 

In the plant erected at Bethlehem, Pa., by Ham- 
ilton & Cavanaugh, for the manufacture of Mcln- 
tyre structural tile for the United States Housing 
Corporation the hand labor connected with raw 
materials has been reduced to very near the mini- 
mum. Aggregate and cement are handled in bins 
at ground level. The cement is raised in bulk from 
the bin by a bucket elevator with 4" buckets every 
2' on a 6" wide canvas belt 84' long. The sand is 
picked up from the bin by 8" buckets every 2' on 
an 8" belt 84' long. These materials are conveyed 
through housing, and raised to the cupola of 
the plant, where they feed into hoppers, that for 
cement holding approximately one ton and aggre- 
gate approximately two tons. The future installa- 
tion of elevators to convey the material from the 

83 



elevator boot into the bin will be driven by a 10 
h. p. motor. A 10 h. p. motor drives the elevators 
which convey cement and aggregate for one plant 
unit (consisting of 4 tile machines) the automatic 
meauring device and 11 cu. ft. Blystone mixer. 
One man operates each of the proportioning and 
mixer units. Each of the two hoppers, one for ce- 
ment and one for aggregate, has a false bottom con- 
sisting of a mere frame of angle irons, which con- 
stitutes the measuring device. These frames are 
so set as to drag from the bottom of the cement 
hopper a quarter as much cement as the other frame 
draws of aggregate from the other hopper. A 
movement of a clutch in the hand of the mixer op- 
erator starts the proportioning device, and he counts 
off so many strokes to a batch. This is fed direct 
through a short chute into the top of the mixer. 
Theoretically, each batch of material is mixed for 
V/2 minutes. The mixed concrete dumps into a 
four-way chute system, which conveys it to the 
hoppers above the tile machines. [Jan., 1919, p. 22] 

Spigot and Pipe from Agitator 

Placing concrete in sand molds must be done care- 
fully. In spite of a very smooth flowing mixture, ob- 
tained by careful grading, proportioning and long mix- 
ing with just the right amount of water, the stream 
of concrete from the agitator, or auxiliary mixer, must 
not strike with full force against the sand mold. 
Straight spouts are sometimes used and a shovel or 
small board held by the workman to break the flow 
inside the mold. The Onondaga Litholite Co., using 
an agitator with a large spigot, has an L-shaped spout 
about 3" in diameter and with a flare at the top, with 
hooks that fasten on at the spigot. [June, 1918, />. 
206.] 

84 



Providing Setting Hooks in Concrete Stone 

A great deal of trim stone must have setting hooks 
or loops cast in place, so the units may be handled 
on the job. The usual practice is to make a "hairpin" 
of light rods with the ends bent over at right angles, 
these ends being embedded in the stone and the loop 









Embedding Loop for Handling Concrete Stone 
projecting. The bent over loops, flattened in ship- 
ping, are a nuisance, and one manufacturer casts a 
lump of plaster over the loop end, the loop coming 
flush with the surface of the stone and made accessible 
later by gouging out the plaster. [May, 1918, p. i6p.] 

Wood Edges on Sand Molds 

In casting in sand molds the top edges of casts are 
apt to be ragged. It is obvious that when the sand 
is under so little pressure and where exposed to acci- 
dental breakage the top edge is hard to keep true. As 
the top surface of sand cast stone is usually troweled 
some minutes after pouring, there is further difficulty 
in keeping the edges true. Usually the pattern is so 
made as to keep exposed surfaces of the finished stone 
down in the sand bed. This is not always possible. 
It is therefore the practice with some manufacturers 
to send from the pattern shop to the casting room 
along with pattern, casting ticket, and sometimes tem- 
plate guide for the finisher, such wood strips Yz" thick 
as are necessary to embed in the sand at top edges 
where an edge must be kept true for a finished sur- 
face. Troweling is therefore done up to the wood 
strip rather than to a fragile edge of sand. [June, 
19 18, p. 206.] 

85 



Pallets of Wood and Steel 

Wood pallets having deteriorated rapidly and been 
reduced in comparatively short time to a soft, punky 
consistency, the Delta Brick & Tile Co., Detroit, de- 
signed a pressed steel pallet with sides of hard wood, 
as shown in accompanying details. The steel and the 
wood parts are being assembled at the Delta factory, 

— **k 



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Details of Wood and Steel Pallets 

the net cost on the first lot being about 50 cts. each. A 
second lot will undoubtedly reduce this figure by 20%. 
These new pallets are now being treated in a steam 
heated bath of kerosene and paraffin oil. These pallets 
are for use in making Eberling Structural Tile on a 
pressure machine. [June, 1916, p. 270.] 

Shelf for Cement Bag on Mixer 

One of our nearby competitors came into our plant 
just a short time ago and he noted an arrangement 
which we have used from the time we first bought 
a Blystone mixer and which we thought little of 
until he called our attention to its helpfulness in 



86 



handling cement, as we are compelled to handle it 
in our small plant. We have a one-bag mixer. 
First we shovel in one-half of the amount of sand 
for a batch, then add a bag of cement, the mixer 
working the meantime by power; then add the rest 
of the sand, thus securing what we find to be a 
proper mixture. 

The "kink" is this : We had a tinner add a piece 
of galvanized iron about 15" wide full length on one 
side of the mixer, on which can be laid a bag of ce- 
ment, while the workman unties the end of the sack. 
The cement thus falls right into the mixer, the shelf 
giving it support while the wire end or tie to the 
bag is being handled. Without this shelf, as we call 
it, the workman must first loosen the wire from the 
sack, while on the floor next to mixer, and he has 
no rest without the shelf while he runs the sack 
back and forth to empty contents. — St. Peter Tile 
Works, St. Peter, Minn. [Aug., 1918, p. 47.] 

Copper Slag for Facing 

A concrete stone manufacturer buys slag from cop- 
per furnaces — a lustrous black, jet-like material — for 
use as an aggregate in varying proportions with other 
stone in making granite stone. He buys it in carload 
lots as it is used throughout the body of the stone. 
A similar or perhaps an identical material has been 
sold in smaller quantities as a facing aggregate. 

The stone manufacturer offers the interesting com- 
ment that this byproduct of the copper reducing fur- 
naces may be actually a material very similar to that 
which makes the jet-like spots in certain granites. 
Granite being an igneous rock, was produced in crys- 
tallization after tremendous heat in which its ingre- 
dients were molten; the copper furnace product is 
but another route to a somewhat similar result. [June, 
1918, p. 207.} 

87 



Coring Heavy Stone Units 

The Maul Co., concrete stone manufacturers, De- 
troit, saves concrete, makes lighter units and does 
so with a minimum of breakage and loss, by coring 
large cornice units by the insertion of clay building 
tile in the section which forms the overhang. 

George Rackle & Sons Co., concrete stone manu- 
facturers in the Cleveland territory for a great many 
years, core heavy cornice and other similar units by 
inserting core boxes when the concrete is tamped, 
removing a box when the top of the box is reached 
with the concrete, filling the space with damp sand, 
well tamped into place, and then filling the rest of 
the way with concrete. When the unit is hard this 
coring sand is washed out with a spray of water 
from a hose. This saves the cost of the clay tile, as 
used by the Maul company, but adds a little to the 
labor charge. Each company likes its own way best, 
and it is largely a matter of individual experience as 
to where the economy can best be effected. [May, 
1918, p. 97.] 

Drain Tile Kinks 

Farmers use our drain tile for culverts and they 
give better satisfaction than glazed sewer pipe. They 
use our tile for chimneys — slip an 8" tile in a 12" and 
fill the opening between with sand or concrete. Use 
cull tile to make foundation piers by filling the tile 
with concrete. 

Also use large tile to make end fence posts by setting 
one 16" tile on another; set in reinforcing rods and 
fill with concrete. 

I am also interested in a factory here that manufac- 
tures hollow concrete drums with corrugated surface 
for land rollers or clod crushers. These give better 
service than steel drum rollers. — W. F. Schweiterman, 
Osgood, Ohio. [June , 1918, p. 206. .] 

88 



Glue Molds and Waste Molds of Plaster 

Speed is sometimes obtained by a roundabout pro- 
cedure. In making some large and very ornate urn- 
shapes for the parapet of a building an eastern man- 
ufacturer of concrete stone, most of whose products 
are cast in sand molds, obtained speedy delivery by the 
following procedure. The clay model having been 
approved by the architects, was reproduced in glue. 
A plaster mold was first made over the clay model, 
and the clay carefully cleaned from the mold. The 
plaster mold was used to make the glue model — the 
undercut surface ornamentation pulling out of the 
plaster just as a glue mold is released from a concrete 
cast. From the glue model as many plaster molds 
were made as there were concrete casts in the job. 
Each plaster mold was then filled with concrete and 
when the casts were hard, the plaster chipped away and 
the stone given the desired surface treatment. This 
was high priced work, the price being about $5.00 per 
cu. ft. of concrete. By the methods used all the casts 
were ready at approximately the same time. [May, 
1918, p. 179.] 

Making Glue Molds 

The sketch roughly indicates making a glue mold 
from a wood or plaster model of a finial such as are 
common to Gothic architecture. The model of 
either plaster or wood has the crockets modeled on 
in clay. If it is possible to make the crockets the 
same size, one is modeled in clay and a glue mold 
is made on it and the number of crockets needed 
are cast in plaster and set on the shaft. This saves 
modeling in clay, which is expensive, as it requires 
very skillful workmen. 

The model is built up, shellacked and greased and 
a clay blanket about £4" thick is wrapped around it. 
The shaded portion around the finial in the sketch 
shows the glue mold within half its supporting shell 



of plaster, and it serves as well to show clearly the 
position the clay occupies around the model and 
the shell around the clay before the glue mold is 
made. 

The plaster shell in this is cast in two pieces. 
The second half is cast with the first half in posi- 
tion to form a close fitting joint, plastering up any 



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Making a Glue Mold 

joints where liquid glue might run out. Next re- 
move shell and then remove clay ; after that the work 
is ready to replace shell, binding it tightly together 
and clamping it down; then pour glue into the 
space first occupied by the clay. 

Remove the plaster shell and carefully peel the 
clay blanket off, then replace the shell and clamp it 
tightly to the table and plaster up the cracks be- 
tween shell and table, out of which glue might 
run. The hot glue may then be poured into the 
shell through a funnel into holes previously left. 
(Keep the funnel full so as to deliver the glue under 
pressure.) It will occupy the space around the 
model which is left by the removal of the clay 



90 



blanket. Allow the glue to cool, at which time it 
will have congealed to about the consistency of 
rubber. 

To gauge the amount of water required to soften 
the glue will require some experience. A little ex- 
perimenting with small molds and a liquid density 
gauge or hydrometer will soon fit any person to 
turn out glue that will be tough and not too hard. 
It should be about the consistency of the candy 
commonly known as gum drops, which is nothing 
more than glue or gelatin mixed and coated with 
sugar. Set density down on paper in each of the 
successive trials and opposite this write the results. 
The glue must be cut into two pieces in order to 
remove it from the model and later from the con- 
crete cast. The cut starts at the bottom at the end 
or nose of one of the crockets, and runs up over 
the top and down the other side directly opposite. 
This will leave one whole crocket and one half 
crocket on each side of it on each one-half section 
of the glue mold. 

Paint the working surface of the glue with a paint 
consisting of white lead, turpentine and dryer. This 
will dry over night, and it is ready for greasing and 
casting. — Paul H. Beatty, Cleveland. [July, 1918, p. 

Loader for Batch Mixer 

A concrete products plant in Akron, O., loads its 
Blystone mixer from an overhead hopper that has 
three compartments — a center compartment for 
cement, kept filled by cement elevated mechanically 
from the second floor level, and two other compart- 
ments, one each side of the cement receptacle, con- 
taining the fine gravel. All of this passes a J4" 
screen. A revolving drum forms a bottom for the 
hopper. This drum has compartments which fill 

91 



automatically by means of an agitator within the 
hopper, and bring out the cement and aggregate in 
the measured quantity to give the proportion desired 
for the output of this particular plant, which is prac- 
tically standard. So many revolutions of the drum 
supply a batch of materials. [May 1918, p. 97.] 

Using Local Stone with Concrete 

There are excellent possibilities for manufacturers 
of concrete trim stone in developing its use with nat- 
ural stone of rustic character. 

In New England considerable seam- faced granite is 
available in warm tones that mellow well with age. 
Trap rock in random masonry gives some very pleas- 
ing results. In glacial country, particularly on farms 
and in small towns, there are walls of split boulders. 
Several stone manufacturers have recently suggested 
that there is a good chance to develop the use of con- 
crete trim with such local rocks. The particular local 
stone must be studied and an architect of ability should 
adapt the manufactured to the natural product. Color 
tones and special aggregate are at once suggested to 
produce a harmonious result. [June, 19 18, />. 207] 

Truck for Hauling Concrete Stone 

The Hydro-Stone Products Co., Chicago, uses a 
5^-6^4 ton Mack truck, equipped with a steel frame- 
work and traveling 2-ton Ford hoist, for quick load- 
ing and unloading of trim stone. 

The concrete stone is piled on small cars, suitably 
protected by wads of excelsior, and so stacked as to 
make easy units to handle at the rate of about ]/ 2 ton 
at each lift. Inasmuch as the dimension stone rests 
on two rails lei gthways of the small car, a sling is 
slipped underneath (the sling consisting of a piece 

92 



of heavy belting), with a means of getting hold with 
the hook of the hoist for lifting. 

A short haul for the Hydro-Stone company is 
about ten miles. Other hauls range up to 25 miles 
in length. The truck costs $12 a day to operate, but 
this includes all charges, depreciation, upkeep and 
driver. The platform, and framework for traveling 
hoist and so on, was put on for $450. With this 
equipment a truck can be loaded in less than ten 
minutes and unloaded in a slightly longer time. 

This equipment makes the average delivery cost 
of dimension stone 10c per cu. ft. The data are sup- 
plied by J. K. Harridge, of the Hydro-Stone Pro- 
ducts Co. [Mar., 1918, p. 95.] 



93 



Surfaces 

Successfully Plastering On Concrete 

I have used the following method for plastering 
on concrete and have yet to see it fail : The princi- 
ple is as old as concrete itself. After the forms are 
taken off and all loose scales cleaned away, the wall 
is to be well wet down, then dashed with a mixture 
of 1 cement to 2 of sand, and care should be taken 
that this coat is not disturbed until thoroughly set. 
The sand should be clean and sharp and as coarse 
as possible; the thicker the plastering has to be the 
coarser must be the sand. The mixture is to be 
dashed on with a broom or paddle the same as is 
used on outside slapdash or rough coat jobs. If 
this coat can stand for 24 hours or more so much 
the better, but it must be set before next coat is 
applied. 

The second, or floating coat, is to be composed 
of coarse sand tested for voids and just the right 
amount of cement added to fill the voids, plus 10% 
hydrated lime to make it work better, care being 
taken to avoid an excess of cement and to use as 
coarse a sand as possible. This coat is to be laid 
on with the trowel and struck off with the straight 
edge and allowed to set. If a float finish is desired, 
a rich mixture may be used for a thin skim coat, 
care being taken to lay it on thin, the richer the 
mix the thinner it must be laid. 

The dash coat, if used, is placed in the ordinary 
way, but whatever finish is used care must be taken 
that the under coat is thoroughly set. There is 
nothing difficult about plastering with cement mor- 
tar if the principles of concrete are adhered to. Tests 
for voids, shrinkage of materials, clean materials, 
non-disturbing after placing and proper curing, will 

94 



invariably bring satisfaction in any kind of concrete 
or cement work. — E. Bewley, Modesto, Calif. [Feb., 
i9*7> P* 50.] 

Suggestions for Impervious Non-Crazing* 
Floor Surface 

A good concrete floor surface of light color and 
sufficiently impervious to stay looking well is not 
always obtained — much to the disappointment of archi- 
tects and owners. E. Y. Bragger, Representative San- 
dusky Cement Co., at Providence, R. I., describes a 
method of finishing floors and other surfaces where 
a fine finish is wanted. As is generally known, ex- 
cessive troweling, in an effort to get a smooth, hard 
surface, frequently achieves that result only temporar- 
ily and the smoothness is not permanent. Crazing 
frequently results in a surface which absorbs dirt and 
soon becomes unsightly. Mr. Bragger recommends a 
surface course of 1 part Medusa waterproofed white 
cement and 2 parts of crushed marble, %" to 40-mesh 
size. If a coarser grain is desired about 2 parts of 
a larger size of marble may be added. After being 
struck off these materials should be allowed to set 
for a sufficient length of time to become firm before 
finishing with a steel trowel (excessive troweling is 
dangerous). After troweling (just as little as pos- 
sible), allow to set for 3 days, keeping wet, then rub 
with stone or rubbing machine to remove trowel marks 
and cement film. Scrub with 10% solution muriatic 
acid and thoroughly rinse with clean water. Grout 
into the surface a mixture of 1 part of the cement 
and 1 part of fine marble. Allow to set for 1 week 
or more, keeping the work damp. Then rub with stone 
or rubbing machine until desired surface is obtained. 
Floors can be brought to a polish by this method. 

This method, Mr. Bragger says, has been used suc- 
cessfully where a floor was required that would not 
discolor. This method has been used by the Ossining 

95 



Pressed Stone Co., Ossining, N. Y., for steps, walks 
and curbing on work of extra quality for large estates 
along the Hudson river. A similar method is used 
by Paul Vogt Sons, Everett, Mass., and Chester Row- 
ley, Pawtucket, R...-L, on cast stone. 

Mr. Bragger also describes a different method, where 
more speedy finishing is necessary, as follows : 

Forms must be tight on all sides. Should thev be rustv or 
dirty, brush with stiff brush, then stop up all crevices and 
paint or trowel sides with plaster of paris. Surface coat to 
be from l" to 2" thick; base must be rough and clean, and 
well wetted. Should the face be smooth, sift on a light layer 
of clear cement. For the surface coat mix 1 part of Medusa 
waterproofed white cement and 2 parts crushed marble (J/i" 
to 40-mesh sieve), and after mixing the two together thor- 
oughly, add water slowly until the proper consistency is 
obtained (not too wet). Spread evenly as you would plaster 
instead' of throwing on by the shovelful. This causes the 
larger size aggregates to remain where placed, the smaller to 
work away under the trowel. Trowel firmly but not too much 
with steel trowel, and strike off with a straightedge. Float 
easily with wood float. Cover with clean canvas, sprinkle on 
dry marble or white sand; allow to set. It will be found this 
covering removes excess moisture and makes troweling pos- 
sible in 20 min. to 30 min. Then finish with steel trowel. 
Trowel only enough to get an even surface (excessive trowel- 
ing causes the cement and finer particles to come to the top, 
which is often the reason for cracks and crazing). Cover 
and allow to set for 24 hrs.; then rub with fine carborundum, 
to remove the cement film. Careful rubbing is necessary at 
this stage, as the cement is still green. Scrub with a 10% 
solution of muriatic acid and thoroughly rinse with clean 
water. Grout into the surface with trowel or brush a thin 
coating of neat cement. Keep damp and finish with fine 
stone or rubbing machine any time after 1 week, or when the 
job is finished'. 

The latter method is very simple but judgment is necessary. 
Floors, steps and so on can be laid, struck off and finished in 
less than a half day; watching, worrying and overtime are 
avoided. If a coarser grain is desired, add 2 parts to 3 parts 
of larger stone. Water pockets are overcome and the cement 
is readily taken up in the surface and not left to work around 
under the trowel; hence a denser work results. 

[July, ipi6/p. 10.] 

96 



Solving the Crazing Problem 
To prevent crazing, adopt every means to avoid ex- 
cessive surface shrinkage of the concrete — particularly 
in the early stages of* hardening. 

1. Avoid an excess of fine material — either cement 
or stone dust. 

2. Avoid the use of excess mixing water. 

3. Avoid methods of placing and finishing which 
leave a film of fine material on the surface. 

4. Adopt methods of surface finish which will re- 
move the surface film of fine material and leave coarse 
material exposed. 

5. Adopt methods of curing which will keep the 
surface wet, uninterruptedly — in distinction from wet- 
ting down surfaces which have become dry in the early 
stages of hardening. 

6. The use of calcium chloride in the mixing water 
is suggested, but should be used only with caution. 
[Oct., 1917, p. pp.] 

Inconspicuous Concrete Walks 
To get the pebble effect on concrete I used mostly 
coarse pea-sized gravel and as little sand as possible, 
without the customary layer of fine material. That 
is, I had one mixture right to the very top. Then 
I washed the surface with muriatic acid, using a 
stiff brush and washing it after it had eaten the sur- 
face skin of the cement, possibly brushing when 
green might produce the same effect without using 
acid. But in my case I used acid after it had hard- 
ened. 

Another way would be to make an ordinary mix- 
ture and then float selected gravel on the surface 
while green. 

I filled the edges with black dirt, so that the 
lawn or long grass will encroach on the sidewalk 
and the soil be a little higher. — Wilhelm Miller, De- 
troit. [Jan., 1917, p. 32] 

97 



Finishing the Sidewalk 

One of the most difficult problems in sidewalk work 
is in the application of the top coat. In the first place 
there must not be too much water in the mix and at 
the same time there must be just enough water so 
that the top will spread out evenly and trowel up 
quickly. The worst trouble is to get the finished top 
troweled up quickly. The more concrete work is 
troweled, the more apt we are to have trouble from 
separation of the top coat from the base concrete. As 
I have told finishers who worked for me : 

"Almost anyone can take a float and trowel and 
finish up a piece of concrete work smoothly, but %U 
takes an experienced finisher to trowel concrete quickly 
and get over a lot of work." I leave strict instructions 
with the finishers to go over their work with a wood 
float once and twice with a trowel. Then we take no 
chance of loosening the top coat from the base before 
the top coat has its initial set. Anyone familiar with 
the troweling of finished surfaces of concrete will find 
that when a surface has been troweled too much it will 
work back and forth, almost like rubber, which loosens 
the top before it has a chance to set. — Frank L. Shoe- 
maker, Kalamazoo, Mich. [July, 1917, p. 6.] 

Pebble Surfaced Sidewalk 

In front of and around Tower Court at Wellesley 
College, Wellesley, Mass., is a concrete sidewalk un- 
usually well suited to its attractive surroundings. The 
ordinary cement sidewalk does not blend at all well 
with grassy and leafy landscapes. Walks that curve 
among trees and shrubs and flowers must be made to 
serve without obtruding. The ordinary walk does ob- 
trude. 

The walk at Wellesley is quite different. It has a 
pebbled surface in harmonious tones. It was built un- 
der the personal supervision of C. A. Sawyer, Jr., 

98 



Vice-Pres. of the George A, Fuller Co., Boston, the 
contractors. Mr. Sawyer describes the work as fol- 
lows : 

"The walk surface was produced to meet these re- 
quirements : A non-slip surface ; a color to harmonize 
with the masonry of Tower Court; an interesting 
though not pronounced surface texture; the elimina- 
tion of surface jointing — irregular shrinkage cracks 
rot being objectionable. 

"The construction consisted of a base course of 
1 :3 :6 concrete 4" thick, on which was screeded off a 
topping of 1:3 portland cement mortar V/2" thick — 
before the base course had received its initial set. 
Water worn gravel screened through 134" mesh and 
caught on ^4" mesh was then closely spread over the 
walk surface and forced into the mortar to the desired 
surface levels with wood floats similar to those used 
by cement finishers. The spreading and tapping into 
place of the gravel was done in the same way as work- 
ing marble chips into a mortar surface in the con- 
struction of a terrazzo floor. After the cement in the 
top had received its initial set, and not before, the 
mortar in the interstices of the gravel was removed to 
a depth of 3/16" by the careful use of scrubbing 
brushes with soft bristles. An hour or so later, the 
pebble surfaces again were brushed, using a small 
amount of water on the brushes. This removed the 
cement film on the gravel caused by the first brushing. 
In both instances the brushes were cleaned very fre- 
quently to give definition and character to the surface. 
After the cement had received its final set, the walks 
were kept damp for several days to insure proper 
curing. 

"The success and permanence of this kind of pebbled 
surface depends on the care with which it is brushed 
and the clean condition of the brushes. If the pebbles 
are even slightly dislodged during the process, the 

99 



cement bond is destroyed and sooner or later raveling 
will result. The work was done by common labor. 

"The sidewalk was laid in the spring of 1915. The 
pebbled surface cost approximately 25 cts. per sq. yd. 
more than it would had the surface consisted of 1 :2 
cement mortar, troweled twice. 

"There is no doubt in the writer's mind that resi- 
dence walks can be constructed of concrete 3j4" or 
4" thick, using a gravel aggregate, provided the top 
surface is carefully brought to the correct profile by 
tamping. After the cement is brushed from this sur- 
face there is no reason why the same appearance can- 
not be obtained as in the work at Wellesley. It is, 
of course, wise to lay these walks on a dry gravel 
or cinder foundation of from 8" to 12" thick." [Aug., 

W7> P- 45-} 

Chicago Park Buildings Faced with 
Special Mixture 

In some interesting work in the surface texture of 
concrete, involving no treatment of the concrete after 
the removal of the forms, two mixtures of concrete 
were used, a porous facing mixture of comparatively 
dry consistency and a structural backing of a wet mix- 
ture such as is ordinarily used in building work. 

This work is done for the South Park Commission- 
ers, Chicago. It is not new, having been introduced 
on the park building work of the commissioners in 
conjunction with the late D. H. Burnham about 10 
years ago. The work of this character has been de- 
veloped considerably since that time and is now being 
used on practically all the new recreation buildings, 
of which those in Grand Crossing Park, now under 
construction ,are examples. 

The surface concrete is composed of 2 parts cement, 
3 parts of washed torpedo sand and 9 parts washed 
crushed limestone varying in size from %" to J4". 
The mixture is somewhat plastic — sufficiently so that 
it will adhere when pressed in the hand. 

100 



The standard thickness of the walls of these build- 
ings, not considering pilasters and cornice ,is 18". This 
is composed of a 4-in. tile center with 7" of the dry 
mixed concrete on the outside and 7" of wet mixed 
concrete on the inside. The interior side of the wall 
is composed of regular wet mixed 1 :3 :6 concrete. The 
walls are built in 8-in. layers, the tile being laid first, 
then the surface concrete and the wet mixed concrete 
on the inside of the wall last. In placing the surface 
concrete it tamped very hard for a width of about 5" 
next to the tile and very little at the front. By using 
very small stone of nearly uniform size and a dry mix, 
tamped in this manner it is possible to crowd the con- 
crete forward into the molded design of the forms, 
bringing out every detail of the design and presenting 
a uniform rough exterior finish. In mixing the con- 
crete for the surface only about y$ as large quantity 
of water was used as for the wet mixed interior part 
of the wall. 

The inspectors for the South Park Commissioners 
say that the artistic results obtained in placing concrete 
in this manner depend upon the uniformly 'small size 
of the stone, great care in securing evenly mixed con- 
crete of uniform moisture and the skill in tamping, 
to crowd the concrete forward into the molded design 
of the forms. [July, ipi6, p. J.] 

Cleaning Concrete Floors 
We clean the concrete floors in our house thrice 
weekly with a watery solution of Sig. Cresol Comp. 
5% and apply daily the following with a mop: 

Kerosene 120.0 c.c. 

Good soap 250.0 og. 

Turpentine 60 c.c. 

Boiling water 6.0 liters 

The floors are swept clean and all dirt and dust 
removed. After mopping alternate days with Sig. 
Cresol Comp. U. S. P. and hot water, the above 
mentioned solution is applied hot, after emulsifying. 

101 



This last solution is used several times a day and well 
rubbed in with a piece of blanket in a mop handle till 
the floors take a beautiful polish. The formula of this 
compound is as follows: 

Cresol 500 grams 

Linseed oil 300 grams 

Potassium Hydroxide 80 grams 

Alcohol 30 milliters 

Water sufficient to make up to 1,000 grams. 
This is rather a difficult formula to mix so do not 
try to make it yourself. If you want a small quan- 
tity your local druggist can probably furnish it; if 
you want large quantities — from a gallon up — buy 
it from a wholesale druggist or a reliable pharmaceu- 
tical manufacturer. — Dr. F. W. Dudley, Manila, P. I. 
[Jan., 1918, p. 32.] 

Preventing Efflorescence 

The experience of most manufacturers not only of 
roof tile, but in other lines, indicates that when ef- 
florescence appears, the remedy is in altering the mix- 
ture of materials and in manipulation so as to get a 
denser concrete. The appearance of white spots, or 
efflorescence, when the products dry out, is due to the 
deposit on the surface of soluble salts taken up by 
moisture in the product. When this moisture evap- 
orates the salts in solution are brought to the surface 
and deposited there. This could not take place in an 
extremely dense product and it will be a good thing 
to have your materials, either crushed stone or sand, 
carefully tested in order to learn exactly the proper 
mix to use to get a more dense mixture. Looking 
into the matter of mixture very carefully will surely 
repay you, even if it is necessary to go to some small 
expense for tests, because there will probably be less 
breakage and the chances are it will develop that you 
can make your products more economically by know- 
ing exactly how much cement should be used with a 
given mixture of sand or stone. [Sept., 1917, p. 88.] 

102 



Brush-Finishing Concrete Surfaces 

A finish for concrete that will give a uniform and 
very satisfactory surface is produced with a whitewash 
brush as the finishing tool. 

Remove the forms at the earliest possible time — 
paint the surface with a grout of 1 lime, 2 cement and 
8 fine sand, mixed with water to a creamy consistency 
and kept thoroughly stirred. 

Follow the application of the mixture with a thor- 
ough rubbing of the surface with a wood float to fill 
thoroughly all pin holes and produce an even texture. 

As the excess moisture disappears brush the surface 
lightly in both directions with a dry brush to obliterate 
all float marks and produce a sandpaper-like texture. 
The surface thus treated will be very light in color 
and the effect is permanent under most conditions. 
[June, 1918, p. 206.] 

Mosaic in Concrete Surfaces 

In the enrichment of concrete surfaces by means of 
mosaic, the mosaic is formed by squares of marble from 

M"*/4" to i"* 1 " and abou t H" to V*" thick; these 
have been sawed and have a level surface on each 
flat side. They may be split with a very short cold 
chisel, the stone resting on an iron block or anvil. 
The stones or Tesserae, as they are called, can be 
laid with the rough or split surfaces out or with flat 
surfaces exposed. In many cases the depressions 
necessary to contain the tesserae can be cared for 
in the mold or form, in others the spaces can be low- 
ered before it has become too hard. 

The stones may be soaked in linseed oil for sev- 
eral hours to make their color brighter and then set 
in soft mortar, or they can be used as they are after 
wetting them. Sometimes for flat panels on walls 
or floors, the stones are glued on paper, face down, 
with gum arabic. 

103 



The soft mortar bed is then laid and the design 
reversed and laid in the wet surface. It is then 
pressed down and leveled with a heavy block and 
the paper soaked off. — Charles T. Scott, School of 
Industrial Art, Philadelphia. [Jan., 1917, p. 10.] 

White Surfaced Stairs with Rubbed Finish 

In constructing a six-story and basement mill con- 
structed building with fireproof stair towers consist- 
ing of reinforced concrete stairs supported on brick 
walls, a departure from the ordinary method of finish- 
ing was made on the main stairs, from the street to 
the office on the second floor. Instead of an ordinary 
Portland cement finish something possessing a little 
more life and color was desired and a special white 
finish 1" thick was therefore used on risers, treads and 
landings. This was composed of 1 part of Medusa 
white cement, 1 part of the standard white Ottawa 
sand and 1 part of marble chips passing a J^" mesh 
with all dust removed and was placed on the concrete 
base before the latter had taken its initial set. It was 
then given a smooth troweled finish and after season- 
ing for a few weeks (during March) the surface was 
polished to reveal the aggregate and give the appear- 
ance of a marble mosaic surface. The landings were 
polished with a Berg rotary surfacer and the risers 
and the portion of the treads back of the Mason safety 
tread and nosing strip at the edges of steps were pol- 
ished by a small cylinder grinder. The corners and 
angles were finished by hand. 

The results obtained are highly gratifying and at a 
much lower cost than marble, although possessing al- 
most as fine an appearance. The construction, how- 
ever, developed some facts which, if heeded in future 
work, will unquestionably give better results. 

In the first place the concrete base (mixed with or- 
dinary portland cement) was in some cases put in 

104 



too wet and in some places where pressure was brought 
to bear on the finish coat the dark mortar oozed up 
through the white finish and resulted in dark spots 
01 veins in the finish after polishing. The remedy for 
this is, of course, the use of a somewhat drier base 
course, not too dry, but of such consistency as will 
require some tamping or spading to flush water to the 
surface. 

In polishing the surface of the special finishing mix- 
ture, it was found that considerable extra time had 
to be expended in order to obtain desired smoothness, 
owing to the presence of the sand grains which at first 
tended to pull out of the surface under the action of 
the machine. In future work of this kind, it would 
therefore seem a wise precaution to abandon the use 
of sand altogether, and use only white cement and 
marble screenings varying in size from 'J4" particles 
to dust, taking care, however, not to get too much of 
the dust in the mixture. It would seem that the pro- 
portion of 1 part of white cement to V/2 parts or 2 
parts of marble screenings is the proper one for this 
class of work, where a good wearing surface is re- 
quired. — A. M. Wolf. [July, 1917, p. 5.] 



105 



Miscellaneous 



Patching a Leaky Concrete Wall 

The writer has used hydrated lime in common mortar 
for repairing concrete walls leaking copiously under 
hydrostatic pressure, following this simple but effec- 
tive method : 

The concrete is cleaned around the leak and loose 
particles cut away. Running water is cut down by 
driving wooden plugs and patches of burlap into the 




Stopping a Leaky Concrete Wall 

crevices. A form is prepared, upon the face of which 
a Yz" twisted burlap gasket is nailed and a stout 
brace, sufficiently long to reach the opposite wall is 
fastened to the back of the form. 

Common 1 :2 mortar, mixed to a thick plastic con- 
sistency and containing 10% (by weight of the cement) 
of hydrated lime, is placed on the face of the form, 
inside the gasket, in a cone-shaped mass. This is 
pressed firmly into the leaking cavity, while the form is 

106 



given a twisting motion, to expel surplus mortar. The 
brace is then driven home. 

In a day or two the form may be removed. 

Large, leaking areas can be attacked and repaired in 
this manner without the tedious labor of "bleeding'' 
the concrete or draining from the outside. 

The Werk Soap Co.'s new plant at Cincinnati is 
built on low, waterbearing soil. Several large pits 
were sunk inside the building and walled with 1 :2 :4 
concrete containing hydrated lime. One pit leaked 
badly because the pump broke down while concreting 
and much of the concrete was deposited in water. The 
method described and illustrated effectually stopped all 
leaks. — Edward O. Keator, Cincinnati. [Feb., 1917, 

Strengthening Columns of Reinforced 
Concrete 

The strength of reinforced concrete columns may 
be increased in the same manner as the repairs were 
made to the buildings injured by fire at the Edison 
Plant, Orange, N. J. The writer designed the rein- 
forcing of these columns, to be made as follows : 

All of the injured exterior of the columns was re- 
moved by hand tools, and the remaining good con- 
crete was surrounded with steel spirals J4" in diam- 
eter, with a pitch of about 2". These spirals were 
of such diameter as to fit closely to the old concrete 
on the corners, leaving considerable space between 
the spirals and the sides of the originally square col- 
umns. Vertical steel in proper amount was placed 
inside the spirals. Steel forms were then placed 
about the columns. The diameter of the steel forms 
was approximately 3" greater than the diameter of 
the spirals, so that there would be at least V/2" of 
fireproofing. After the forms were in place concrete, 
consisting of one part cement to two parts of sand, 

107 



but with no large aggregates, was poured through 
holes in the floor slab above to fill the column forms. 
After the concrete was poured into these forms and 
had set, the forms were stripped and the concrete 
column, I believe, may be considered to be as strong 
as though it had been originally cast of the finished 
size casing, being a 1:2 mixture, instead of some- 
thing leaner, will be stronger than the interior core, 
but I do not believe that the extra strength of this 
outside casing should be assumed as the strength 
of the column. 

With reference to reinforcing columns in a build- 
ing, to take greater loads than they are designed 
for, this should be a simple matter and could follow 
the same ideas as above outlined. I believe there 
will be more trouble in strengthening the founda- 
tions to take the added load than there will be in re- 
inforcing the columns themselves. — T. L. Condron. 
[Oct., 1918, p. 139.] 

Some Drafting Room Kinks 

We have discovered, writes William Osborne Sell, 
Birmingham, Ala., that pencil drawings on tracing 
paper could be made twice as fast as ink on cloth. 
However, the blueprints were very poor. This was 
overcome by using black carbon paper behind the 
paper, placed so the carbon impression would come 
on the back of the tracing. This reinforced the 
pencil drawing and permits good blueprints to be 
made. Changes were easily made. 

All of our drawings for concrete work are made in 
a uniform size. One sheet of typical details was made, 
showing beam shapes, section through typical terra 
cotta slabs, and through typical metal tile slabs, typical 
column details, typical bending details, etc. Each de- 
tail is numbered and the framing plans call for "De- 
tail No. 24," for instance, instead of a special section, 
as heretofore. [April, 1918, p. 137.] 

108 



Test Specimens Bedded in Sand for 
Quick Work 

Recently we have had to test in rapid succession 
several hundred specimens, whose ends were not ex- 
actly true. Plaster coating was out of the question 
on account of the time and labor involved. To get 
even bearing, therefore, we took strips of galvanized 
iron about 1" wide, and wrapped them around either 
end, tying them loosely in place with a wire. 



r-^ 9 ) 


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—*3P£C/At£Af. 




| A-fteAo 


^ ■ ^^gzf 



Testing Cylinders Bedded in Sand 
These collars were then drawn about fs" beyond 
the end of the specimen. The lower end of the speci- 
men was then set in a small tin pan full of loose sand, 
the collar going down into it. The top collar was 
then filled with loose sand and struck off and the 
specimen placed in the testing machine. 

As pressure is applied the collars slip along the speci- 
mens until the sand takes a hard bearing. Testing 
then goes on as though the specimens had been capped 
with plaster. We have found that this method gives 

109 



very consistent results, and is fully equal to plaster 
in every way. Needless to say, it can be applied to 
specimens other than cylinders. The inception of the 
idea was in some experiments made prior to grouting 
in sand strata. I found that 400,000 lbs. of pressure 
on an inch diameter plunger was insufficient to force 
cement grout more than %" into the sand. At the 
same time I found that the lateral pressure on the 
container was very slight indeed. These results I 
have tried in the foregoing test methods. — Nathan C. 
Johnson, Consulting Concrete Engineer, N. Y. C. 
[Dec, 1918, p. 199.] 



Drip for Porch Floor 

In putting down a concrete porch floor, overlap- 
ping a brick wall, a good drip should be put in to 
keep the wall clean when the work is done, as well 
as to keep it clean afterwards, as these walls other- 
wise get badly discolored in time. I use a galvan- 
ized iron strip for this, which is easily made. I 




Drip for Porch Floor Projection 

used to try to cast in a wood strip, and often broke 
the edge off in trying to take it out. The iron strip 
remains in, and if in time it corrodes and falls 
away entirely it will have formed the drip in the 
concrete without weakening the edge. The gal- 
vanized iron, however, should last a great many 
years. — Vernon Redding, Architect, Mansfield, Ohio. 
[May, 1918, p. 156.] 

110 



Better Blueprint Specifications 

Next to printed specifications, the most logical and 
best suited for the purpose are blueprint specifications, 
since they form a record which cannot be readily 
altered or changed without disclosing the fact and, 
what is more, every copy is an exact duplicate of the 
other. This is not true, for instance, when 10 sets 
are needed and all are to be typewritten on white paper. 
With due allowance made for carbon copies, the mak- 
ing of these would involve two or three distinct oper- 
ations, thus increasing the chance of error. 

Blueprints of typewritten originals are not always 
clear and distinct, even when written on onion skin 
paper. An excellent blueprint is obtained from an orig- 
inal sheet if it has been backed up by a carbon sheet 
when written, thus making a negative of the material 
on the back of the sheet. Changes cannot be made 
as readily on such sheets as when written on the face 
only, but this is an asset rather than a disadvantage, 
for it tends to make the stenographer exercise more 
care in writing than if changes can easily be made. — 
Albert M. Wolf, principal assistant Engineer, The 
Condron Co., Chicago. [June, 1918, />. 208.] 

Mixer Runs Make-Shift Pile Driver 

A concrete bridge became undermined by flood, 
necessitating the use of steel sheet piling, the low clear- 
way prevented the use of an ordinary pile driver, so 
a discarded jaw from an old stone crusher was se- 
cured, a runway made of plank and suspended from 
the bridge, with a block fastened in the head and a 
small concrete mixer placed in position, with the gear- 
ing removed. This was used for motive power to 
drive the sheet piling, using the loading lever hoist to 
operate the driver. — H. W. Cregier, County Superin- 
tendent of Highways, Schenectady, N. Y. [May, 1918, 

ill 



Blue Print Holder 

Where blue prints must be constantly referred to, a 
holder described by Henry J. Harms, engineer and 
builder, Courbevoie, France, as used in connection 
with the housing work done in France, is worth while. 

The holder consists of a piece of sheet metal of a 
size to fit the drawings to be used. The edges are 



Opcn >'a 



'<h'S 



* 



C&LULO/O 



/2-//-/3fc? 




HW*^" 






Blue Print Holder 



turned in as shown by the illustration. In use the piece 
of heavy felt is placed as a backing, then the drawing 
is slipped in and a piece of celluloid placed by bending 
and springing in as shown. The whole trick lies in the 
construction of the corners, which are not closed but 
left open about j£", which allows the celluloid to work 
into place without cracking while the felt backing- 
serves to keep the drawing and celluloid cover pressed 
tightly in place against the metal frame. 

There would of course be a practical limit to the 
size of this kind of holder but for small sized prints 
such as are used in housing work, or photostats from 
large drawings which are now being used a good deal 
on large jobs, the idea seems to have a good deal of 
value. [Apr., ipi8, p. 32.] 

112 



Fixing a Triangle to Avoid Blots 

On very hot days in the summer I have found that 
the ink from the ruling pen is attracted very easily 
to the edges of the triangle, running under the latter 
and causing disagreeable blots, which destroy the neat- 
ness of the tracing and very often the disposition of the 
draftsman. 

In order to avoid all these difficulties, simply take 
a pocket knife and shave off all sides of the triangle 
to a bevel extending about one-third the thickness of 
the material, A cross-sectional view is shown. 

By this little scheme, blotting of the cloth becomes 




Fixing a Triangle to Avoid Blots 

almost impossible, and I have found also that the bevel 
is useful in case it should be found necessary to trace 
a line immediately adjacent to another wet line, the 
bevel covering the wet line without smearing it, and 
the draftsman is able to reach to desired line with his 
pen. — L. H. Christen, Champaign, Illinois. [May, 
ipi8, p. 156.] 

Getting Stucco Jobs 

A stucco contractor makes winter search for 
houses that look "pitted," with paint peeling off. 
Then he tries to get in touch with the owner and 
convince him that what he needs for his building 
is not another dose of the paint brush, but an over- 
coat of concrete stucco. [Apr., 1917, p. 133.] 

113 



Leaky Basements Made Waterproof 

My work in the last five years has been mostly 

repair work. I have waterproofed something like 

fifty or more basements of all kinds, the largest being 

a school 32' x 50', two stories, with full basement. 

The water was 18" deep when I took the contract. 

The contractor had a sump on the outside of the 

building, with 3" centrifugal pump, automatic motor 

driven, and when he laid his floor he pumped most 

of his cement away with the water, leaving the floor 

porous all over. My first work was to dig a trench 

through the old floor, through sand and gravel 18" 

deep, to the lower water level, and cover the trench 

with a reinforced concrete floor. I then plastered the 

inside walls J^" thick with mortar 1 cement to V/ 2 

of fine sand. There were two brick walls 10' apart 

the short way; these I plastered 30" high on all 

sides, using 12 lbs. of Ironite to every 100 square 

feet of surface for all plastered work. 

I then laid a 6" floor of 1:2:4 concrete, using 

American fence wire for reinforcing, floor being laid 

without stopping. The top coat was laid the next 

day, using 24" screeds and treating floors as side 

walls. After standing for 10 hours I pumped the 

water back into the basement, 18" deep, or to its 

own level outside, and let it stand 7 days, pumped 

out water and dried out. 

The school board turned irrigation water into the 

ditches 6' away from the schoolhouse to test it out. 

All O. K. That was 7 years ago and all the others 

have been treated the same, except the boiler room 

and cool room, 15' x 30', under a theatre, 16' deep, 

with 5^' of river pressure. The coal floor was V 

higher than the boiler room floor, so we moved the 

boiler into the coal room, cleaned the floor with 

muriatic acid straight. I used a 2" top. Took 

pressure away by drilling 24" holes in walls, using 

Va" pipe. 

114 



There is always a great deal of trouble with water 
under furnace floors, under fire grates. They will 
either burn out or crack, no matter how deep the 
concrete floor is, on new work or old. To remedy 
this, raise the boiler 6" or 8", then lay down build- 
ing paper on the old floor. Lay new floor on the 
paper, so it will not bond to old floor. Mix the con- 
crete 1 \V/2 :3. Firebrick is, however, better as a 
heat absorber.— O. Robinson, Boise, Idaho. [Oct., 
ipi8, p. 130.] 

A Scaffold for Removing Forms 

The removal of forms in high storied buildings calls 
for some type of scaffold that can be handled rapidly. 

For a recent job hooks were made of 1/4" steel, 
as shown in the illustration. They were hung over a 



11 ■ m * • y ' > ^ * i . [—* 




A Handy Scaffold for Wrecking Forms 

plank supported on shore heads and carried on edge 
a plank, over which the floor planks were laid. 

Adoption of this idea would be useful in many 
places. — R. H. Washburne, Milwaukee. [Feb., 1917, 

P. 5*-] 

115 



Improvised Light System for Night Work 

Electric power is usually available in construction 
work and simplifies the question of supplying light 
for night work. Have a circuit run into the build- 
ing to the hoist tower and then run it up one post 
of the tower. Leave a socket, fastened to the post 
at each floor level, for leadoffs. On account of 
dropping concrete a piece of board should be nailed 
over the socket to protect it. Have the switch for 
this circuit in a box that can be locked. When 
light is wanted on any floor it is a simple matter 
to attach a flexible cord to the socket on the post. 
All sockets on construction should be of composi- 
tion other than porcelain, as it is less likely to break. 

Very bright lights can be made of old automobile 
headlight reflectors. These can usually be picked 
up at any automobile wrecker's shop for about 50 
cents. As these reflectors are used for very small 
lights it will be necessary to saw oflf the bottom to 
receive an ordinary sized lamp. Make a square box 
so that the reflector can be fastened to it. A socket 
is placed in the bottom of the box and the lamp 
inserted. Cover the box with J4" mesh wire cloth 
for protection. A 40-watt Mazda lamp in such a 
reflector will give a light so strong that it cannot 
be looked at directly. On the back of the box put 
a hook so that it can be hung on a nail. With each 
light should be enough flexible cord to reach the 
farthest corner of the building. Cluster sockets can 
be inserted in the socket on the hoist tower post 
when several lights are needed. [Feb., 1917, p. 88.] 



When building forms it is well in many places to 
nail through a bit of lath. This allows the forms to 
be drawn tight and when wrecking the lath may be 
split allowing the nails to be drawn easily. 



116 



Soap-and-Alum Waterproofing 

The soap-and-alum process in waterproofing has 
been used frequently by engineers of the War Depart- 
ment. It is described in the 1901 report of the Chief 
of Engrs., U. S. Army, as follows : 

The soap-and-alum (Sylvester) process was used in "water- 
proof mortar" and applied to both horizontal and exposed 
vertical surfaces. This mortar was made by taking 1 part 
cement and V/ 2 parts sand and adding thereto Y^ lb. of pul- 
verized alum (dry) to each cu. ft. of sand, all of which was 
first mixed dry, then the proper amount of water — in which 
had been dissolved about }i lb. of soft soap to the gal. of 
water — was added and the mixing thoroughly completed. 

The mixture is a little inferior in strength to ordinary mor- 
tar of the same proportions and is impervious to water, and 
is also useful in preventing efflorescence. The alum is in 
excess for the reason that it coagulates other things than 
soap that may come to it. 

The process was applied in connection with concrete con- 
struction in fortifications at New York Harbor. Similar 
treatment is known to have been used somewhat extensively 
elsewhere in work of like character. 

[Jane, 19 16, />. 27 2. \ 

Indicating Concrete Sections on Plans 
Where large areas of concrete are shown in section 
on the detail plans of concrete structures a firm of in- 
dustrial engineers has found that excellent results can 
be obtained at a much lower cost than by the usual 
"stone and sand" indication, by blackening the sections 
on the back of the tracing cloth with an H or HB 
grade pencil after the gloss has been partially removed 
by an ordinary eraser. 

Where the usual symbol "broken stone and sand" 
is used to indicate concrete in section it has been found 
best to do this ink work on the back of the tracing. 
Changes and erasures can then be made quickly with- 
out interfering with the section symbols, thus 
saving time. — Albert M. Wolf, principal assistant 
engineer, The Condron Co., Chicago. [May, 1918, 

117 



Improvising a Swing Scaffold 

The usual type of scaffolding in use on steel frame 
and reinforced concrete buildings is in the form of a 
heavy floor hung by steel cables or rods from outrig- 
gers projecting from the roof. 




Msfar^r 




Using Steel Cable and Cable Clips to Build Swing 
Scaffolding 

This scaffold is raised and lowered by means of 
special devices, which are efficient when available. It 
often occurs, however, that this equipment is not at 
hand or the work in question will not warrant its pur- 
chase. In constructing a new steel frame building at 
a cement plant recently it become necessary to provide 
scaffolding to a height of 50' throughout a large build- 
ing. The outlay for lumber and labor would have been 



118 



very large. The contractor secured a quantity of dis- 
carded cable of ample strength for scaffolding pur- 
poses and by means of cable clips arranged suspension 
lines hung to the steel roof frame at proper locations. 

The method by which the scaffold floor was secured 
to the cable is shown by the illustration. A small piece 
of iron was bent to a right angle and clipped to the 
cable. This formed a support on which scaffold bear- 
ers with notched ends could be supported. A slotted 
iron plate between the clip and the wood would form 
a better bearing, if available, or enough washers could 
be strung on the cable before the staging was built to 
provide for the required number of lifts. 

Raising the scaffold is effected by placing a second 
set of clips and bearers, when the floor planks can be 
raised readily to the next level. This leaves the first 
set used available for still further use. [Feb., 1917, 
P- 50.] ^ 
Calcium Chloride to Accelerate Hardening 

The use of calcium chloride to accelerate the hard- 
ening of concrete is discussed briefly by S. W. Strat- 
ton, Director Bureau of Standards, in a recent letter 
as follows: 

In a recent investigation we found that the use of a 4% 
solution by weight of calcium chloride in place of the mixing 
water materially accelerates the hardening of concrete, but 
does not appreciably affect the time of setting. This accel- 
eration varies somewhat with different cements; with some 
cement in 1:2:4 concrete we found the strength increased 
about 100% in 24 hrs. and 48 hrs. This, we believe, is due to 
the more complete hydration of the silicates and aluminates, 
for it was found they were more completely hydrated when 
the calcium chloride was used. Its use increases the cost of 
concrete 12 cts. to 15 cts. per cu. yd. For best results, it is 
important that the concrete be mixed to a quaking or mushy 
consistency, but not fluid consistency. Calcium chloride 
should be used with caution in reinforced concrete, as the 
presence of the calcium chloride will accelerate any corro- 
sion of the reinforcement which may occur. 

[July, 19 16, p. 28.] 

119 



Clip for Attaching Wire Mesh to 
Steel Work 

To attach heavy wire mesh quickly and cheaply 
to structural steel sections, Carl Weber, of the Tor- 
crete Shipbuilding Co., uses steel spring washers made 




Using a Spring Washer As a Clip for Attaching Wire 
Mesh to Steesl Work 

with an opening that allows them to be forced over 
the flange of a steel member by a hammer blow, as 
shown. [May, 1918, p. 155.} 

Pay a Man What He Earns 

After trying it both ways, I have found that to 
have a standard price for my men is a failure, be- 
cause there are but few men who will continue to be 
speedy when working alongside a slow, loafing fel- 
low. If the slow loafer is getting as much money 
as the speedy number 1 man, he will never speed up 
in the world. Your first-class man will soon slow 
down to the slow man. Thus you spoil the good one 
and never improve the poor one. Otherwise, you 
can make a good man out of the loafer on the job, 
many times, if you pay him less, with an increase in 
wages just as soon as he makes himself worth it. — 
Charles J. Behler, Oregon, 111. [Oct., 1918, p. 121.] 

120 



Gravel Screening Kinks 
On one job, the layout was such that we served local 
gravel direct into the charging end of a small gasoline 
driver mixer, from the railroad car. The mix was 1 :4, 
as the gravel was excellent, coarse and uniformly 
graded, dredged from a nearby river. At the same 
time, screened sand was required for mortar. The 
gravel was wet and hard to screen. There was con- 
siderable vibration from the mixer engine and our 
foreman conceived the idea of attaching the mixer 
frame to the screen by a wooden strut, making a 








Two Gravel Screening Kinks 
shaking screen. It kept two men "humping" to shovel 
gravel into the screen fast enough to feed the mixer 
loader and the mortar men. The quantity of screened 
sand was increased materially with a reduction of 
the entire screening crew. It sure was a money saver 
and a speeder. — W. H. Scales, Danville, 111. 

An inexpensive and convenient device for screening 
sand and gravel, and at the same time loading them 
into wheelbarrows, will prove convenient on many small 
jobs. It is described by Harold J. Spellman, in the 
Engineering News-Record. It consists of a chair- 
shaped frame, supporting a screen, which can readily 
be made adjustable to several angles for varying aggre- 
gates. If desired, two or more screens of different 
mesh can be made interchangeable with the frame, 



121 



In using the screen, one wheelbarrow is run in from 
the back and catches most of the sand, and the second 
wheelbarrow is run under the lower end of the screen 
and receives the stone. 

Some time ago Concrete described a somewhat sim- 
ilar arrangement, which had the added feature of a 
shield to prevent the scattering of the sand, as indi- 
cated by the illustration. [Sept., 1918, p. 92. \ 

Screening Gravel at the Pit 

The following method of delivering reasonably well 
screened gravel is applicable to pits where there is not 
a great excess of large stone but where there is too 
much sand. 

A screen about 3' x 6' is provided with hooks and 
braces that enable it to be slipped into irons provided 
on the wagon box. The screen stands at an angle and 
hangs out over the ground. Gravel is shoveled from 
the bank and thrown across the wagon on to the 
screen. It is thus shoveled only once and labor cost 
greatly reduced. [Dec, 191 7, p. 189.] 

A House Builder's Business Card 

Hugh B. Miller, building contractor, Edge- 
water Park, N. J., has a business card with the let- 
tering in black right over a brown tinted illustration 
of a large residence. There is something about this 
card which might in some respects be copied by a 
good many contractors. In this the name of the 
man and his line of business are closely identified on 
the card with the kind of work he does. It is sug- 
gested that the illustration used be selected with 
a great deal of care in order to get one that will 
have the right effect when printed in light tone. It 
need not be in brown — it might be in grey. [May, 

I9i7> p. I95-] 

122 



Keeping a Labor Supply 

E. H. Backemeyer, of Sioux City Concrete Pipe 
Co., Sioux City, la., in reference to the present labor 
situation, says that he keeps from six to ten men 
in his plant at a wage which keeps them pretty well 
satisfied with a steady job, and he keeps a liner ad- 
vertisement running in the daily paper in his city 
all the time for laborers. This is because of the 
shifting tendency of labor in the last year or so. In 
this way he is able to use the green men and get 
along very well at market price for common labor. 
He says it doesn't take a high priced man to tip over 
a concrete pipe that is well cured and roll it out into 
the yard. [Mar., 1918, p. 83.] 

Acid-Proofing Concrete 

Substances proving efficacious in protecting concrete 
from the action of acids of varying strength are rec- 
ommended by K. E. Hildreth, Syracuse, N. Y., as fol- 
lows: 

Pitch — This well known coal tar derivative serves well in 
protecting a basin or channel where the acid or acid solution 
is at rest or under flow. A sixty point or sixty sulphur pitch 
has been found to adhere firmly and remain hard under ordi- 
nary range of temperatures. The enamel surface particularly 
resists the scouring action of stream flow. Acidities ranging 
in degree up to 10% do not attack it. In all probability it will 
resist much stronger solutions. Its application is necessarily 
limited to surfaces that are perfectly dry and where space is 
not so confined as to render the fumes, arising when it is 
brushed on hot, dangerous to workmen. 

Gilsonite, or Uintaite — An asphalt or mixture of hydro- 
carbons which is in the form of a black, brittle and lustrous 
mass readily workable when heated as is the pitch. Should 
be thinned, using benzol to apply as a bond coat, then the 
enamel coat applied hot. (This asphalt is found in Colorado 
and Utah. A chemical investigation of gilsonite is reported 
in the Jour. Franklin Inst., Vol. 140, 1895, p. 221, by W. C. 
Day) 

Minubrite Mastic — This is a commercial product, a blended 
asphalt. A bond coat is first brushed on and then the mastic 

123 



is troweled oil to a thickness varying with the service, from 
%" in channels carrying solutions having swift flow to 1/16" 
in basins or tanks where the liquid is quiescent Advantages 
of this material are that it is applied cold, the surfaces need 
not be absolutely dry and the matter remains plastic, so that 
expansion does not check the surface. If trouble should be 
experienced in swift flow channels or at bends this plasticity 
allows of the surface being sanded; use sharp silica sand, to 
offer a wearing surface resisting the abrasive stream action. 
This has been found to resist the action of hot concentrated 
nitric acid for a period of several months without being 
affected. Installation was temporary. Weak acids do not 
seem to affect it when contact is indefinite. 

[June, 19 18, p. 205.] 

Using Space Under Barn Driveway 
It is suggested by the University of Wisconsin that 
in many cases the space under the elevated drive or 
bridge to the barn floor could be profitably used for 
a milk room, the drive itself being the roof. 





/J/4.4. orates*, rots. & \S*>*At. 
CO 46*V to • 
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Suggested Details for Room Under the Barn Driveway 
Obviously, there are many uses to which this space 
can be adapted profitably, one of which can well be 
root storage, since only the two side walls are ordi- 
narily exposed, and since they can easily be banked 
with earth if desired for further protection. 

Provision could be made for filling such a root 
cellar from above, through a trap door, simply by 
driving the load up the regular barn driveway. [Apr. 
1918, p. 140.] 

124 



Window Details 

Here are some window details used on concrete 
walled houses at Claymont, Del., for the General 
Chemical Co. They were worked out by Milton 
Dana Morrill. All frames were built up on the job. 
In Fig. 1 is shown a vertical section through the 
window head. A strip of tin is tacked to the yoke 
and extends up into the concrete. This makes a 
joint that is air tight as w r ell as watertight. 




Fig. 1 — Window Details 

A plan cut through the side of the window frame 
is also shown. The sash weight box is formed by 
tacking a channel shaped metal strip to the pulley 
stile. The sill and the yoke are cut long, so that 
this metal weight box has a secure nailing top and 
bottom. On account of the channel shape of this 
metal weight box, it makes a very rigid frame and 
is at the same time lighter and less expensive than 
the usual wood frame. (See Fig. 2.) 

The frames were made up with a reveal strip 
tacked on in place of the staff, as shown in the de- 
tail. These temporary reveal strips built the frames 
out to the thickness of the walls, so that the frames 



125 



complete were set in the steel forms at any point 
desired, and the concrete poured around these 
frames, making a weather tight joint. By the use 
of this simple metal weight box the wood work, 
which is sure to shrink, is reduced to a minimum 
when the concrete is poured around the windows. 
The temporary reveal strips are removed and the 



7T*i ' 

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/A 

ty A*X/ZZ> 



Fig. 2 — Window Details 

staff strip is applied. This serves both as a finish 
and forms the sash runway. The stucco was fin- 
ished up against the staff. The reveal strips were 
made of 1J4" cypress, so that they were used over 
and over again. 

A sill detail is shown, with a drip under the sash. 
The temporary reveal strips extend down below the 
wood sill and form a recess. The finished concrete 
sill is afterwards molded in place. Wires are left 
projecting in the sill recess, which furnish a secure 
bond (Fig. 3). 

The outside wood sill is applied after the con- 
crete sill is finished and is so arranged as to extend 
down and cover the joint between the main wood 
sill and the concrete. This outside wood sill is set 
with a white lead joint. While time is the best 
test of new structural details, such, for instance, as 



126 



this window sill, it seems quite possible that it will 
eliminate one of the difficulties in concrete house 
building — the making of watertight window sills. 
The brick in the usual wall are so porous that they 
absorb any water that beats in under the sill, but 



MX/ZZ> 




Fig. 3 — Window Details 

the concrete does not take the water so freely and 
this accounts, perhaps, for the fact that windows in 
some of our concrete houses have given trouble 
from leaks. As a rule the frames are much more 
nearly weatherproof in a concrete wall than in a 
brick wall. (Jan., 1919, p. 19.] 

Underpinning in Soft Soil 

"You can't build on that, why you will not strike 
solid ground for another 10'," they told me. "That 
is all that black 'muck'." Here is what I did: I got 
a well digger, who had nothing to do for that week, 
to drill holes for my footings for the walls, garbage 
incinerator and porch and post footings. We dug 33 



127 



holes from 14' to 24' deep, or until we struck solid 
ground. The result was a fine house on worthless 
ground. — George Krueger, Milwaukee, Wis. [June, 
1918, p. 207.} 

Simple Field Test for Organic Material 

in Sand 

To make a field test for organic impurity in sand 
fill a 12-oz. graduated prescription bottle to the 4J/2- 
oz. mark with sand to be tested. Add a 3% solution 
of sodium hydroxide until the volume of the sand 
and solution, after shaking, amounts to 7 oz. Shake 
thoroughly and let stand over night. Observe the 
color of the clear supernatant liquid. 

In approximate field tests it is not necessary to 
make comparison with color standards. If the clear 
supernatant liquid is colorless, or has a light yellow 
color, the sand may be considered satisfactory in so 
far as organic impurities are concerned. On the 
other hand, if a dark-colored solution, ranging from 
dark reds to black, is obtained the sand should be 
subjected to the usual mortar strength tests. 

Field tests made in this way are not supposed 
to give quantitive results, but will be found useful 
in: 

(1) Prospecting for sand supplies; 

(2) Checking the quality of sand received on the 

job; 

(3) Preliminary examination of sands in the lab- 

oratory. 
An approximate volumetic determination of the 
silt in sand can be made by estimating or measuring 
the thickness of the fine material which settles on 
the top of the sand. The percent of silt by volume 
has been found to vary from 1 to 2 times the per- 
cent by weight. — D. A. Abrams, Lewis Institute, 
Chicago. [Apr., 1917, p. 151.} 

128 



Hoisting Kink Used in Excavating 
Here is a sketch of a hoist to use in excavating 
under a building for a basement. The box can be 
let down on a track into the basement; shovel the 



*/*sr /zoos /* 

P*£3£Anr auxf 







Hoist Employed Economically in Excavation 
dirt into the box and pull it out with a horse, and 
when it gets up over the wagon, it will dump automat- 
ically. I find this will cut the labor more than half. — 
H. C. Wilson, Wilson Concrete Co., Dyersburg, Tenn. 
[Sept., 1918, p. pj.] 

Hollow Pedestal Over Brick "Form" 

In building a pedestal base for a modeled figure 
for a swimming pool fountain, the design was roughed 
out in brick, leaving the center hollow, then coated 
with concrete put on with a trowel on poultry netting 
drawn over the rough brick form. This made a simple 
construction, leaving a hollow space for the pipes and 
connections inside of the pedestal without building 
forms of special shape and no delays waiting for 
concrete to set. I think this is very economical 
for that class of work which would require expen- 
sive forms. — J. F. Beckbissinger, Cooper & Beck- 
bissinger, Architects, Saginaw, Mich. [May, 1918, 



129 



Handy Scaffold Equipment 

The scaffold equipment illustrated is cheaply made 

and of almost universal use. For laying brick and 

block, for operating wall machines, for plastering and 

numerous odd jobs, it is always ready and adaptable. 

The horses should be substantially made, with 2 x 
4 or 2 x 6 tops and 1x6 legs are best for continued 




Details of a General Purpose Scaffold 
service. The extensions can be made of 2 x 4 or 2 
x 3, with 1x4 cleats. 

The feature of the scaffold is the overhanging end 
of the horses, which permit placing the extension over 
them. The scaffold is of course stayed against rack- 
ing over when in use. [May, ipi8, p. py.] 

An Emergency Salamander 
In an emergency, make-shift stoves or salamanders 
may be used. A heavy steel oil drum no longer fit 
for holding oil proved economical in first cost and in 
operation. Remove one end and punch a number of 
1" holes in the bottom and side near the bottom. The 
stove should then be set on a loose brick foundation 
directly under the freshly poured concrete work. A 
coke fire will burn all night if the drum is filled nearly 
to the top with fuel. 

130 



In one large building where the entire construction 
was of concrete, dozens of these stoves were used to 
prevent cracks in the concrete with freezing before it 
had time to set. [Dec, 1917, p. 168.] 

Photographs for Protection 

High prices and scarcity of material have unde- 
niably resulted in less carefully graded materials. 
Unfortunately, visual inspection does not reveal all 
defects, but where, as in the case of lumber, lax 
grading is obvious, the practice of a certain lumber 
dealer is valuable. 

As material is unloaded defective pieces are sorted 
out and arranged by the car so as to show the de- 
fects. The lot is photographed and a picture sent 
with a protest to the shipper. 

The same idea can be indefinitely extended by 
taking photographs of all work where there is any 
reason to believe question may arise. Pictures are 
the very best evidence in case of a law suit and 
have many times prevented suit. Pictures are 
cheaper than lawyers. [Jane, 1917, p. 223.] 

Keeping Belt-Course Brick in Line 

In laying a belt course of brick around a building, 
especially a soldier course, or where the bricks are 
standing on their ends, with an inch projection, it is 
difficult to keep them in line. To do so fasten 1" 
boards with a straight edge up against the brick wall 
by nailing into mortar joints and possibly strips to 
window frames, these boards to be high enough to 
allow for a mortar joint under the brick and the brick 
to rest on the mortar and the edge of the board. This 
will keep the bottom of the projecting bricks level 
and the bricks are easily and quickly laid to the line 
in a perfect manner. The boards are taken away as 
soon as the course is laid. — Scott Healey, Otsego, 
Mich. [June, 1918, p. 205.} 

131 



Leveling Building With Concrete 

W. C. McCreight, of Oklahoma City, Okla., tells 
just how he uses concrete to straighten up buildings 
that have settled out of line. 

In the case of a frame barn on a stone foundation 
that had settled, the desired level was first deter- 
mined and grade stakes driven. The building was 
then jacked to line by using railroad ties as needles 
under the sill and the necessary excavation made 
for the new foundation. 

Forms were built to the sill on one side and to a 
point 4" below the sill on the other from which pour- 
ing was to be done. A "splash board" was fastened 
to the top of the pouring side so that the forms 
could be filled through the 4" space. The forms 
were built around the needles and sand was packed 
around them as the concrete was placed to provide 
for their removal. 

While the concrete was still reasonably soft, the 
forms were removed and the ridge of concrete left 
next to the sill trimmed off. Variations in this pro- 
cedure are sometimes made by pre-casting sub- 
stantial concrete piers and setting them in concrete 
footing. A hole is left through each pier through 
which bars can be inserted for handling it. Still 
another method sometimes used is to jack up the 
barn and build piers or short sections of walls be- 
tween the needles, filling in the alternate spaces after 
they are removed. [Sept., 1918, p. 93.] 

Preventing Leaks in Concrete Buildings 

The details of concrete buildings sometimes do not 
include provision for keeping water out of construc- 
tion joints between the concrete frame and the curtain 
walls. 

The illustration shows simple means to accomplish 
this. A groove the width of a concrete curtain wall, 



or slightly wider than tile or brick to be used to allow 
for clearance, will answer at columns. 

The seat for curtain walls should be depressed slight- 
ly. The surface of wall beams will prevent leakage at 
that point while a strip of metal lath bent so as to be 
molded into the beam can be plastered to form a tight 
joint at the bottom of the beam. — Philip Tritch, San 
Diego, Calif. 




Watertight Joints in Concrete Building 



[Editor's Note: It is believed that equally good re- 
sults would be obtained at less cost by setting the cur- 
tain wall back and allowing the slightly projecting 
beam to act as a drip member, unless a curtain wall 
flush with the outside of the concrete frame is neces- 
sary. Feb., 191 7, p. 52.] 

133 



Spare Tower Hopper Serves as 
Car Unloader 

Where aggregate is used direct from the cars to the 
mixer, unnecessary handling can be eliminated and the 
number of men required reduced by hanging to the 
side of the car a standard steel tower hopper, if one is 
available. The hopper serves as a reservoir, into which 
four men can shovel while one man operates the slid- 
ing gate at the bottom and charges the wheelbarrows 
as they come up. A hopper can of course be built of 










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Use of Standard Tower Hopper as Car Unloader 

wood for the same purpose, if the steel hopper is not 
at hand. The hopper should be hung with hooks in 
such a way that it can be slid along the side of the 
car, so as at all times to have the shovelers close to 
their work. 

Comparison between this method of unloading and 
the old way, where the cars were unloaded to the 
ground and the material reshoveled into the wheel- 
barrow, is as follows : 



134 



Old Way (1% or 2:3:5 Mix) 

Hours 

Unloading one car rock, 14 men 28 

Sand, 14 men 10J4 

Rock, 5 wheelers 22# 

Rock, 5 loaders 22^ 

Sand, 3 wheelers 13# 

Sand, 3 loaders 13^ 

Total 110J4 

Requires the use of 16 No. 2 shovels. 
Some material wasted. 

New Way 

Hours 

Rock, 5 wheelers 22J4 

5 men unloading rock 22 y 2 

3 men wheeling sand 1B% 

3 men unloading sand 1B T A 

Total 71 

Requires the use of 6 No. 2 shovels. 
No spoiled material left. 

— Glen. H. Thompson. [Apr., 1918, p. 140.] 

Using Structural Columns as Ventilating 

Ducts 

In some of the new buildings of the Ford Motor 
Co. in Detroit the problem of ventilation has been 
solved in part by arranging ducts inside the struc- 
tural columns. Naturally the columns are larger 
than would be necessary if they were solid. They 
are circular and poured in steel forms. Galvanized 
pipe the size of the required duct was located con- 
centrically with the forms while intakes of cast 
iron were attached to the form and the galvanized 
pipe. This method provides at low cost an efficient 
provision for ventilation so located as to be in no 
danger of damage and entirely concealed. [Feb., 
1917, A 50.] 

Mending Rubber Hose 

Rubber hose on construction work invariably de- 
velops leaks through rough handling. Leaks are a 
nuisance and often hose is thrown away that with 
a little trouble could be easily repaired. The usual 
method of repairing leaks is by wrapping them with 

135 



a piece of cloth— usually a cement bag — and the re- 
sult is never satisfactory. A good and lasting repair 
job is very easily made. At an electrician's supply 
store buy a roll of ordinary tar insulating tape and 
a roll of rubber insulating tape. To mend the leak 
stop the water and wipe off the outside of the hose. 
Wrap the rubber tape around the hose over the 
leak and about 1" each way, letting the edges of 
the tape overlap. One thickness is enough. The 
rubber tape is soft and sticks to the hose. Then 
wrap rubber tape with tar tape to protect it from 
wear. [Feb., ipi?, p. 87.] 

Placing Lead Flashing 

Specifications sometimes call for lead flashings. It 
is usually placed by leaving a raglet and pointing the 



Leocffloshtng 



iron 



Wood block 




A Method of Placing Lead Flashing 
flashing in place after the forms are stripped. On ac- 
count of the softness of the material it cannot be 
to eked on the forms and the concrete placed, as with 



136 



copper flashing. As the best results are obtained by 
having the flashing in place when the concrete is 
poured, the following method was devised, which was 
entirely satisfactory. The lead flashing, bent to proper 
shape, is supported on a piece of galvanized iron bent 
ir the form of a right angle. This galvanized iron, in 
turn, is supported by triangular shaped pieces of 1-in. 
material, nails being driven through the blocks into the 
form. These blocks are spaced about 20" to 24" apart 
and either can be removed when the forms are stripped 
and the cavity left by them pointed, or they can be left 
in place and the base flashing nailed to them. 

Copper or galvanized iron flashing, on account of its 
greater stiffness, can be supported directly on the tri- 
angular blocks. — Samuel Warren, N. Y. C. [Feb., 
1917, p. 5/.] 

Removing Ink Stains from Stucco 
and Concrete 

As to removing ink stains from concrete or stucco, 
I cannot advise definitely, as much depends on the 
nature of the ink, the depth of the penetration, etc. 
In general, however, we find that a strong solution of 
caustic soda applied in successive treatments will 
eventually remove most ink stains entirely. This can- 
not injure the concrete and should be tried by all 
means. Oxalic acid is also effective in many cases. 
A 10% solution should be used, the concrete being 
allowed to dry out between applications. My own 
experience with this is that it is less effective than 
the caustic soda. It might be possible to cover the 
spots with a paint made with white cement and finely- 
ground marble, but this should not be resorted to until 
all efforts to remove the stains themselves have failed. 
— William B. Newberry, Sandusky Cement Co., Cleve- 
land. 

137 



Our recommendation would be to wash the surface 
with hot water and a scrub brush, taking off nearly all 
of the ink. Then to have the same mechanic who did 
the original work do the front over again, stopping 
on the corners and not lapping around onto the sides, 
would make a fresh, clean looking front, but would 
not show mussy joints. After washing, paint the sur- 
face of the complete house with a specially prepared 
cement wash, tinted if desired, that mixed with water 
and applied with a brush, or through a spray pump, 
becomes part of the wall. 

Regarding stains on a floor, that is a much more 
difficult matter to cure. If it is an ordinary concrete 
floor, we would scrub it. Then we would take a car- 
borundum brick No. 150 grain and some pulverized 
sand and with plenty of water carefully grind the 
floor down. 

If the floor is pitted during this grinding, we would 
fill the pits with a bonding cement (extra finely ground 
Portland cement — Editor), troweling the bonding ce- 
ment onto a well soaked surface late in the afternoon, 
using just enough material to fill the pits. The next 
morning early spread a coat of damp sand over the 
floor and keep sand wet 3 or 4 days. If this is done 
all over the porch floor, it should correct the trouble. — 
S. W. Curtis. [Aug., ipiy, p. 52.] 



Where a stucco finish or concrete floor has been 
stained with ink, I would suggest the following treat- 
ment, which will obliterate all traces of ink. In 2 
qts. of water dissolve y 2 lb. of chloride of lime. Let 
the solution stand 24 hours and strain through several 
thicknesses of clean cloth. Add 8 drams of 26% 
acetic acid. Apply this mixture to the stained spots 
with a piece of cloth wadded on the end of a stick, and 
remove the surplus by dousing with water. 

This treatment w T ill remove all the ink it can get 
to, except document safety inks containing carbon, of 

138 



inks containing prussian blue. I do not know what 
effect the mixture will have on the concrete or stucco, 
but do not imagine it will injure it. If the stucco is 
perfectly white, it may leave a yellowish spot, but if 
care is taken in making the mixture the stain left by 
it should be slight and easy to cover so as not to be 
noticeable. — Alfred J. Miller. [Oct., 191/, p. 123.] 



Caisson Excavation Costs Reduced 

In the construction of a central heating plant in De- 
troit, a large number of caissons were sunk 60' deep, 
through heavy clay. Holes were 4/ 6" in dia. spaced 
about from 9' to 16' each way. 

In handling this work, T. Murphy, superintendent 
for the contractor, A. A. Albrecht Co., adopted a novel 
method. A number of timber platforms were built 
at such a height that the material could be dumped 
from them directly into wagons and these were set 
up over the holes and a tripod erected carrying a block 
over which the hoisting ropes ran. The ropes were 
led back to the ground through a snatch block and 
then to the niggerhead of a hoist. As many as four 
ropes were laid to each hoist and could be handled 
alternately by a hoist operator. One Novo hoist op- 
erated by a gasoline engine and two electric hoists were 
used. Two men in each hole filled the bucket and 
placed the lagging which consisted of 4' sections, 
tongue and groove 2' x 6", of planks held in place 
by spreader rings. 

To handle the soil, wagons were driven alongside 
the platforms and loaded, enough extra wagons being 
used to keep the teams employed steadily. 

There was, therefore, no time lost for teams. Costs 
were cut $2.00 per cu. yd. from former costs on sim- 
ilar work. [July, 1917, />. 17.] 

139 



New Ideas in Manhole Construction 
Two clever wrinkles in the construction of duct 
lines and manholes for underground electrical work 
are utilized by the Public Service Co. of N. J. in street 
work now being done. 




F&Z 



Fig. 1 — Corner Detail of Manhole Forms 
Fig. 2 — Sketch of Insert Form for Duct Placing 

A typical conduit line is being laid in Nassau St., 
Princeton, consisting of nine J. M. ducts, 3" and 3^" 
in diam., the latter for the high tension lines. The 
ducts are laid in concrete, in three tiers of three ducts 
each. Concrete manholes are constructed at intervals, 
mostly 5' x 7'. N. C. pine ship-lap boards are used 
for form sides. These are nailed to 3" x 4" joists, 
the boards constituting the long sides being secured to 
the 3" edge of the timbers, and those making up the 
short sides of the manhole, to the 4" sides of the 
joists (Fig. 1). The outer edge of the joists carrying 
the long sides are flush with the back of the end forms, 
the 1" difference between the 3" and the 4" di- 
mension being made up by a cleated strip, with which 
the corner joists are fastened together. Two upright 
braces are used on the long sides and one on the short 
side, in both cases without nailing, and two cross-braces 
are used, one near the top and the other near the bot- 
tom. 

140 



When removing the form, the cross-braces are re- 
moved and the ends taken out first, after the cleats 
attaching them to the side forms have been removed. 
By this means it is possible to use the same lumber five 
or six times. 

The other feature is the use of round wooden but- 
tons to indicate the proper location of the ends of the 
ducts which enter the manhole. These are 1" long 
and of the same diameter as that of the ducts used. 
The buttons are screwed to an auxiliary form of re- 
quired size constructed of 2" spruce planks, the whole 
form being beveled at all edges. Buttons are spaced 
so that the proper interval of 1", for concrete filling, 
shall intervene between ducts when laid, and in proper 
alignment so that the ducts shall enter the manhole in 
proper lines and tiers. 

It is found that the use of the buttons, which are 
very inexpensive, obviates the difficulty of getting the 
ducts in proper line and with the requisite spacing, 
which is inevitable when the old method of aiming the 
ducts at lines drawn on the form is relied upon. These 
ideas were original with J. E. Armstrong, Field Engr., 
for the Public Service Co. — W. B. Conant, Concord, 
Mass. [Feb,, 1917, p. 52.] 

Monthly Postcard Photos for Advertising 

Purposes 

Bent Bros., contractors, Los Angeles, use postcard 
photographs of their work — usually progress pictures 
— with a few lines of description, to advertise their 
work. On the address side of the card in a space 
reserved for correspondence, Bent Bros, list their 
large contracts in progress. On the side with the 
illustration the card calls attention to one of the 
big contracts. Every month Bent Bros, send out a 
new post card photograph to keep their work con- 
stantly before prospective clients. 

141 



A Handy Scaffold Bracket 

The accompanying sketch shows a handy light 
scaffold. It is just a loose bracket staked in at the 
bottom and leaned against the building. By tacking 




/s>OWFTfi/C Y/£. bY 







(jftOC/A/D -~> 



n 



Handy Scaffold Bracket 
the runway to the bracket, swaying is prevented. 
It was used successfully on group concrete house 
construction at Claymont, Del., for the General 
Chemical Co. 

Crushed Firebrick as a Concrete Aggregate 
for Special Uses 

In response to an inquiry as to the use of crushed 
lire brick as a concrete aggregate, L. C. Wason, Pres- 
ident Aberthaw Construction Co., Boston, says that 
this was used with success at the State Farm, Bridge- 
water, Mass., for building an oven in which to bake 
bread. The temperatures maintained in this oven are 
quite high, and directly over the fire pot the concrete 
becomes red hot. This concrete of crushed fire brick 



142 



has stood the racket perfectly for three or four years. 
Mr. Wason suggested to the Underwriters' Laboratory 
at Chicago, in connection with a fireproof material 
test on columns, that one or more specimens be built 
of fire brick concrete. This was not acted upon, 
probably on the grounds that there was no fire brick 
aggregate for any such use, and it would, therefore, 
be a waste of time. If an unlimited supply could be 
developed, tests undoubtedly would be made and 
might result in the solution of special problems where 
concrete is to be subjected to intense heat, although 
firebrick could scarcely be considered in general prac- 
tice, because of the limited supply. \July, 1916, p. 



143 






Paste on these pages clippings of New Kinks which 
you have written for the magazine Concrete. 



144 



Paste on these pages clippings of New Kinks which 
you have written for the magazine Concrete. 



145 



Paste on these pages clippings of New Kinks which 
you have written for the magazine Concrete. 



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Paste on these pages clippings of New Kinks which 
you have written for the magazine Concrete. 



147 



Paste on these pages clippings of New Kinks which 
you have zvritten for the magazine Concrete. 



148 



Paste on these pages clippings of New Kinks which 
yoa have written for the magazine Concrete. 



143 






Paste on these pages clippings of New Kinks which 
you have written for the magazine Concrete. 



150 



Paste on these pages clippings of New Kinks which 
you have written for the magazine Concrete. 



151 



Paste on these pages clippings of New Kinks which 
you have written for the magazine Concrete. 



152 



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